Part III of the Museums and the Mind session at ASTC 2008 in Philadelphia. Jennifer Mangels, professor of psychology at the City University of New York, discusses the neuroscience of knowledge-seeking emotions and learning.

1. The Neuroscience of Knowledge Seeking and Learning Jennifer A. Mangels, PhD Baruch College, City University of New York

9. Midline frontal regions also register novelty -- rapidly orient attention P3a P3a (Butterfield & Mangels, 2003) Map of scalp-recorded brain activity Unexpected > Expected outcome * * P3a Unexpected bad outcome Unexpected good outcome Expected bad outcome Expected good outcome (Buttefield & Mangels, 2003; Mangels, et al., 2006)

11. Optimizing Arousal Levels of Arousal Too little Too much (Optimal) Cognitive Performance Yerkes-Dodson Inverted U-Shaped Curve (including stress/fear-based and novelty-based arousal)