Publications by authors named "Kiran Sutcliffe"
Does openness/intellect predict sensitivity to the reward value of information?
Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci
October 2021
A recent theory proposes that the personality trait openness/intellect is underpinned by differential sensitivity to the reward value of information. This theory draws on evidence that midbrain dopamine neurons respond to unpredicted information gain, mirroring their responses to unpredicted primary rewards. Using a choice task modelled on this seminal work (Experiment 1, N = 139, 69% female), we examined the relation between openness/intellect and willingness to pay for non-instrumental information (i.
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- The study investigates how fear of uncertainty is linked to behaviors in disorders like OCD and generalized anxiety, specifically focusing on information-seeking behaviors.
- It involved 146 participants completing a task measuring their preferences for both usable and unusable information about future outcomes across different payout scenarios.
- Findings revealed that individuals with higher anxiety and obsessive-compulsive traits were more willing to seek out costly, unusable information about uncertain outcomes, indicating a general tendency to prioritize this behavior despite potential negative consequences.