Neural Substrates Associated with Motivation to Learn in Modern Humans

Abstract

Differences in learning abilities are thought to be demonstrated by elucidating the brain regions involved in individual and social learning of modern humans using neuropsychological methods, and by comparing the differences in brain regions between modern and ancient humans based on fossil reconstruction of ancient human brains. Although motivation to learn is an enforced factor in individual and social learning, the neural substrates associated with motivation to learn have not previously been determined. Therefore, I investigated the neural substrates of motivation to learn in modern humans using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). I confirmed that sense of accomplishment, which is an intrinsic reward, is associated with motivation to learn. In addition, the striatum was strongly activated by sense of accomplishment, and striatal activation levels were positively associated with a motivation-to-learn score derived from a questionnaire. I explored the association between motivation to learn and other cognitive functions, and found that motivation to learn was positively correlated with performance on a divided attention task. The fMRI study revealed that processing of divided attention activates the dorsal inferior frontal gyrus and superior parietal lobule, found in the frontal and parietal cortices, and fosters higher synchronization between these regions. In modern humans, the frontal and parietal cortices develop from childhood to adulthood. Morphological and functional comparisons of these regions between modern and ancient humans are expected to help elucidate differences in learning abilities between modern and ancient humans.