Book contents
- Motivational Systems
- Motivational Systems
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Boxes
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Models of Motivation
- 3 Needs, Drives, and Arousal
- 4 Incentive Motivation
- 5 Levels of Control
- 6 Wanting and Liking
- 7 Regulation and Control: From Homeostasis to Emotion Modulation
- 8 Emotions, Moods, and Affect – Their Link to Motivation
- 9 Feeding Motivation
- 10 The Motivation to Drink Water and Ingest Salts
- 11 Sexual Motivation
- 12 Exploratory Motivation
- 13 Fear, Avoidance, and Security
- 14 Aggression
- 15 Pain
- 16 Social Motivation: Belonging, Affiliation, and Attachment
- 17 Drugs and Addiction
- 18 Addictions to Things Other than Drugs
- 19 Summary and Integration
- Glossary
- References
- Index
12 - Exploratory Motivation
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 26 June 2026
Book contents
- Motivational Systems
- Motivational Systems
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Boxes
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Models of Motivation
- 3 Needs, Drives, and Arousal
- 4 Incentive Motivation
- 5 Levels of Control
- 6 Wanting and Liking
- 7 Regulation and Control: From Homeostasis to Emotion Modulation
- 8 Emotions, Moods, and Affect – Their Link to Motivation
- 9 Feeding Motivation
- 10 The Motivation to Drink Water and Ingest Salts
- 11 Sexual Motivation
- 12 Exploratory Motivation
- 13 Fear, Avoidance, and Security
- 14 Aggression
- 15 Pain
- 16 Social Motivation: Belonging, Affiliation, and Attachment
- 17 Drugs and Addiction
- 18 Addictions to Things Other than Drugs
- 19 Summary and Integration
- Glossary
- References
- Index
Summary
Exploration involves gathering and assimilating information. Exploratory motivation and play are linked. Curiosity is associated with novelty seeking. Links are described with boredom. The orienting reflex is a form of exploratory behaviour. Exploratory behaviour involves whole-body movement. High levels of fear are antagonist to exploratory behaviour. The link with latent learning and cognitive maps is described. Problems with the application of drive theory to exploratory behaviour are discussed. The link to competence is discussed. Exploration acts in a hierarchical mode of control, involving incentive salience attribution. The chapter discusses the neuroscience of exploration (e.g. the hippocampus). Motivation of exploration involves the pathway from the VTA to the NAcc, which is excited by novelty. An amplification of exploratory motivation is seen in sensation seeking. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the developmental factors that underlie exploratory motivation. A focus is upon the role of environmental complexity in individual differences.
Keywords
Information
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Motivational SystemsA Biopsychological Introduction, pp. 234 - 260Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2026
Accessibility standard: WCAG 2.2 AAA
Why this information is here
This section outlines the accessibility features of this content - including support for screen readers, full keyboard navigation and high-contrast display options. This may not be relevant for you.Accessibility Information
The HTML of this chapter
complies with version 2.2 of the
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
(WCAG), offering more comprehensive accessibility measures for a broad range
of users and attains the highest
(AAA)
level of WCAG compliance, optimising the user experience by meeting the most extensive
accessibility guidelines.
Content Navigation
Table of contents navigation
Allows you to navigate directly to chapters, sections, or non‐text items through a linked table of contents, reducing the need for extensive scrolling.
Allows you to navigate directly to chapters, sections, or non‐text items through a linked table of contents, reducing the need for extensive scrolling.
Index navigation
Provides an interactive index, letting you go straight to where a term or subject appears in the text without manual searching.
Provides an interactive index, letting you go straight to where a term or subject appears in the text without manual searching.
Reading Order & Textual Equivalents
Single logical reading order
You will encounter all content (including footnotes, captions, etc.) in a clear, sequential flow, making it easier to follow with assistive tools like screen readers.
You will encounter all content (including footnotes, captions, etc.) in a clear, sequential flow, making it easier to follow with assistive tools like screen readers.
Short alternative textual descriptions
You get concise descriptions (for images, charts, or media clips), ensuring you do not miss crucial information when visual or audio elements are not accessible.
You get concise descriptions (for images, charts, or media clips), ensuring you do not miss crucial information when visual or audio elements are not accessible.
Full alternative textual descriptions
You get more than just short alt text: you have comprehensive text equivalents, transcripts, captions, or audio descriptions for substantial non‐text content, which is especially helpful for complex visuals or multimedia.
You get more than just short alt text: you have comprehensive text equivalents, transcripts, captions, or audio descriptions for substantial non‐text content, which is especially helpful for complex visuals or multimedia.
Visualised data also available as non-graphical data
You can access graphs or charts in a text or tabular format, so you are not excluded if you cannot process visual displays.
You can access graphs or charts in a text or tabular format, so you are not excluded if you cannot process visual displays.
Visual Accessibility
Use of colour is not sole means of conveying information
You will still understand key ideas or prompts without relying solely on colour, which is especially helpful if you have colour vision deficiencies.
You will still understand key ideas or prompts without relying solely on colour, which is especially helpful if you have colour vision deficiencies.
Use of high contrast between text and background colour
You benefit from high‐contrast text, which improves legibility if you have low vision or if you are reading in less‐than‐ideal lighting conditions.
You benefit from high‐contrast text, which improves legibility if you have low vision or if you are reading in less‐than‐ideal lighting conditions.