Jennifer Bussell

Abstract Animals are motivated to seek information that does not influence reward outcomes, suggesting that information has intrinsic value. Here we have developed an odor-based information seeking task that reveals that mice choose to receive information even though it does not alter the reward outcome. Moreover, mice are willing to pay for information by sacrificing water reward, suggesting that information is of intrinsic value to a mouse.

Abstract Animals are motivated to seek information that does not influence reward outcomes, suggesting that information has intrinsic value. We have developed an odor-based information seeking task that reveals that mice choose to receive information even though it does not alter the reward outcome. Moreover, mice are willing to pay for information by sacrificing water reward, suggesting that information is of intrinsic value to a mouse.

Abstract Animals are motivated to acquire knowledge of their world. They seek information that does not influence reward outcomes suggesting that information has intrinsic value. We have asked whether mice value information and whether a representation of information value can be detected in mouse orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). We have developed an odor-based behavioral task in which mice choose to acquire information even though it does not alter the reward outcome.