The Need for Novelty

Exposure to Novelty

Novel stimuli has been evolutionary and developmentally advantageous for humans throughout time.[1] As foragers, it was beneficial for early humans to move around a lot and explore new environments; those who did likely gained new knowledge and skills.[2] Additionally, exploring novel environments gave humans more possibilities of food and potential mates, increasing chances of survival and reproduction. In order for people to survive, innovation and evolution was needed and achieved through the pursuit of novelty.[3]

Novelty is defined as something that has not been previously experienced and/or deviates from one’s routine.[4] Such examples include: meeting a new person, experiencing a new smell, taste, environment, or recreational activity - essentially, this can include any aspect of perception that isn’t already present in an observer’s memory system.[5,6] When a new stimulus is encountered, the hippocampus is stimulated and releases dopamine into the body.[7,8] Acting as a reward system to encourage the pursuit of new stimuli and environments,[9] dopamine also activates long-term potentiation, facilitating learning and memory of the new stimulus.[10,11]

If there is repetitive exposure to a stimulus, the body adapts by reducing the response to it - a process known as habituation.[12] Habituation allows the brain to ignore unimportant information and focus on new and relevant stimuli.[13] Specifically, the brain inhibits a response to stimulus that is familiar and frequently encountered, allowing selective attention to novel stimuli.[14] For example, an individual exposed to a constant smell will gradually show a reduced response until the smell is no longer perceived.[15] To encourage novelty seeking (which is evolutionarily advantageous) the body produces less dopamine (i.e., less of a reward) for repeated exposure to a stimulus.[16]

 

Novelty as a psychological need

Research has demonstrated that novel exposure is positively associated with well-being.[17,18] The hedonic adaptation prevention (HAP) model developed by Sheldon et al., (2012) found that variety, unexpectedness, and surprise in everyday life promote an increase in well-being;[19,20] additionally, the repetition and continuation of these factors help maintain an increase in happiness over time.[21] Exposure to unfamiliar stimuli and environments are also linked to a decrease in stress, anxiety, and depression.[22]

A study done by Bagheri and Milyavskaya (2020), analyzed whether novelty can qualify as a psychological need within the self-determination theory.[23] This theory states that humans have three psychological needs -autonomy, competence, and relatedness- which underlie motivation and development.[24,25] The fulfillment of these psychological needs are essential for psychological growth, well-being, and optimal functioning.[26,27] In order for novelty to meet the criteria of a psychological need it must: have a positive effect on well-being; universally affect all people regardless of age and novelty preference; cause a decrease in well-being when absent; and cause benefits to most areas of life.[28] Novelty satisfies all of these criteria and thus behaves very similarly to other psychological needs in that it is essential for life satisfaction and fulfillment. Further, novelty is needed for humans to psychologically function and is essential for life satisfaction and fulfillment.[29]

 

Why new things are good for us

In addition to positively affecting one’s well being, exposure to novelty has been found to improve memory and brain plasticity,[30-32] facilitate learning,[33,34] and promote active decision making.[35] Crescentini et al. (2018) also found that novelty is associated with autonomy, positive relationships, and personal growth in adolescents.[36,37] Exposure to novelty introduces the brain to new information, in turn adjusting old conceptual categories and creating new mental representations.[38] This can create new perspectives and meaning, which can help individuals evaluate situations from numerous perspectives and adjust their behavior and emotional reactions accordingly.[39,40] Additionally, exposure to novelty can help people cope with challenges and find rational solutions, instigating growth and development.[41-43]

Exposure to novelty is linked to memory improvement.[44-46] When a new stimulus is encountered, dopamine is released. Since dopamine is responsible for memory enhancement, novelty therefore induces and strengthens memories.[47] Additionally, the violation of expectations leads to memory enhancement.[48] Humans compare incoming information with already existing knowledge and schemas to make predictions.[49] New stimuli are more likely to differ from previous mental concepts, negating expectations and becoming more memorable; the unpredictability and unexpectedness of novelty improves memory.[50] A study done by Ballarini et al. (2013) found that participating in a novel activity before learning school lessons improved long-term memory in elementary school students.[51] Seeking out and experiencing novelty is also linked to creativity.[52,53] Since creativity is characterized by the formation of novel cognitive content and ideas,[54] there is a cyclical between creativity and novelty: creativity is developed around the concept of novelty, and novelty-seeking often acts as a prerequisite for creativity.[55] 

 

Boredom’s effect on anxiety and mental health

Without the presence of novelty, environments can consist of unvarying and repeated stimulation;[56,57] consequently, boredom and loss of engagement are likely to exist.[58] A study done by Tze et al. (2015) found that when boredom was present in an academic setting, there was less motivation to learn, less effort put forward, and more disengagement in school.[59] Further, boredom negatively affects academic performance and goals,[60] and has been linked to a higher susceptibility to cognitive dysregulation,[61,62] depressive symptoms and anxiety,[63,64] increased usage of drugs,[65] hopelessness,[66] loneliness,[67] and aggression.[68]

 

Why time speeds up as we get older

A study done by Ferriera et al.(2016) found evidence that time feels like it passes by faster for older individuals;[69] further, the perception of time passage is accelerated as one ages.[70] One reason for this phenomenon could be a person’s lack of new experiences and novelty.[71]

In addition to the subjective feeling that time speeds up with age, adults also report a disproportionate recollection for events that occurred in childhood or early adulthood, known as the reminiscence bump.[72] Claudia Hammond (2013) argues that the reason behind the reminiscence bump is novelty.[73] When an individual is doing something new for the first time such as riding a bike, learning a new skill, or starting a new job, the moment is encoded strongly into memory, causing an individual to remember the event for many years to come.[74,75] Childhood and early adulthood contain a vast amount of new information and the learning of new skills, which in turn become encoded into memory;[76] in contrast, adults are more likely to have less new experiences as daily life becomes more routine and therefore encode less into memory.[77] This can cause an overrepresentation of childhood and early adulthood memories in autobiographical memory and can make that period of life feel longer.[78] This also explains why childhood and early adulthood may feel “slower” than older adulthood. 

 

How to slow down time and increase well-being

Novelty and new experiences can be used to slow down time and increase well-being.[79] Additionally, the subjective perception of time is based on the amount of new memories created over a time period.[80] For example, the more new memories created during a vacation, the longer the trip will seem when looking back on it.[81] Some examples of ways to keep one’s brain active and incorporate novelty into life include:[82,83]

  • Learn a new language.

  • Vacation to a new place.

  • Take a new route home from work.

  • Learn a new skill (e.g., skiing, sewing, cooking, or guitar).

  • Move and live in a different city.

  • Take a class on a subject that interests you.

  • Volunteer for a local or global organization.

  • Change the furniture or décor in your home.

  • Try a new restaurant or even a new meal.

  • Try a new physical fitness activity (e.g., biking, yoga, Pilates, or boxing).

  • Plant a garden.

  • Attend a new community event.

  • Go camping.

  • Read a new book.

  • Meditate.

  • Attend a new live music performance.

  • Visit a museum.

  • Make conversation with strangers.

  • Learn about a different culture.

  • Go wine tasting.

  • Try out a new look or hairstyle.

  • Join an intramural or club sports team.

  • Start biking to work or to the store.

  • Explore a new park or hike a new trail.

If you feel yourself suffering from boredom, feel disengaged in life, are suffering from anxiety or depression and the effects are not mitigated from increased experience of novelty, consider reaching out to a mental health professional for additional support.

Contributed by: Amelia Worley

Editor: Jennifer (Ghahari) Smith, Ph.D.

REFERENCES

1  Schomaker, J. (2019, March 9). Unexplored territory: Beneficial effects of novelty on memory. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory. Retrieved July 23, 2022, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1074742719300516

2  Bagheri, L., & Milyavskaya, M. (2019, October 22). Novelty–variety as a candidate basic psychological need: New evidence across three studies - motivation and emotion. SpringerLink. Retrieved July 23, 2022, from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11031-019-09807-4

3  González-Cutre, D., Sicilia, Á., Sierra, A. C., Ferriz, R., & Hagger, M. S. (2016, July 8). Understanding the need for novelty from the perspective of self-determination theory. Personality and Individual Differences. Retrieved July 23, 2022, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0191886916307863

4  Bagheri, L., & Milyavskaya, M. (2019)

5  Reichardt, R., Polner, B., & Simor, P. (2020, April). Novelty manipulations, memory performance, and predictive coding: The role of unexpectedness. Frontiers. Retrieved July 23, 2022, from https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2020.00152/full

6  Barto, A., Mirolli, M., and Baldassarre, G. (2013). Novelty or surprise? Front. Psychol. 4:907. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00907 

7  Shohamy, D., and Adcock, R. A. (2010). Dopamine and adaptive memory. Trends Cogn. Sci. 14, 464–472. doi: 10.1016/j.tics.2010.08.002

8  Reichardt, R., Polner, B., & Simor, P. (2020)

9  Costa, V. D., Tran, V. L., Turchi, J., & Averbeck, B. B. (2014). Dopamine modulates novelty seeking behavior during decision making. American Psychological Association. Retrieved July 16, 2022, from https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fa0037128

10  Shohamy, D., and Adcock, R. A. (2010)

11  Reichardt, R., Polner, B., & Simor, P. (2020)

12  Trinity College Dublin. (2014, June 18). Groundbreaking model explains how the brain learns to ignore familiar stimuli. ScienceDaily. Retrieved July 23, 2022 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140618131957.htm

13  Ibid.

14  Ramaswami, M. (2014, June 18). Network plasticity in adaptive filtering and behavioral habituation. Neuron. Retrieved July 12, 2022, from https://www.cell.com/neuron/fulltext/S0896-6273(14)00350-X?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS089662731400350X%3Fshowall%3Dtrue

15  Ibid.

16  Costa, V. D., Tran, V. L., Turchi, J., & Averbeck, B. B. (2014)

17  Li, W. W., Yu, H., Miller, D. J., Yang, F., & Rouen, C. (2020, December). Novelty seeking and mental health in Chinese university students before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown: A longitudinal study. Frontiers. Retrieved July 23, 2022, from https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.600739/full

18  Pirson M. A., Langer E., Zilcha S. (2018). Enabling a socio-cognitive perspective of mindfulness: The development and validation of the Langer Mindfulness Scale. J. Adult. Dev. 25 168–185. 10.1007/s10804-018-9282-4 

19  Sheldon, K. M., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2012). The Challenge of Staying Happier: Testing the Hedonic Adaptation Prevention Model. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 38(5), 670–680. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167212436400

20  González-Cutre, D., Sicilia, Á., Sierra, A. C., Ferriz, R., & Hagger, M. S. (2016, July 8).

21  Sheldon, K. M., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2012)

22  Li, W. W., Yu, H., Miller, D. J., Yang, F., & Rouen, C. (2020)

23  Bagheri, L., & Milyavskaya, M. (2019)

24  Self-Determination Theory. Self-Determination Theory of Motivation - Center for Community Health & Prevention - University of Rochester Medical Center. (n.d.). Retrieved July 18, 2022, from https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/community-health/patient-care/self-determination-theory.aspx

25  González-Cutre, D., Sicilia, Á., Sierra, A. C., Ferriz, R., & Hagger, M. S. (2016)

26  Ibid.

27  Ryan, R., & Deci, E. (2000, January). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation ... Retrieved July 23, 2022, from https://selfdeterminationtheory.org/SDT/documents/2000_RyanDeci_SDT.pdf

28  Bagheri, L., & Milyavskaya, M. (2019)

29  Ibid.

30  Düzel, E., Bunzeck, N., Guitart-Masip, M., & Düzel, S. (2009, August 26). Novelty-related motivation of anticipation and exploration by dopamine (NOMAD): Implications for healthy aging. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews. Retrieved July 23, 2022, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0149763409001298?casa_token=Rf_tN1X1AtsAAAAA%3AGL_C25SnzfKB2Hf-0lCzV85aYjrSzwZxXITd91xcpUkN6tpVl35mEZst2kJa-JaKyCbqGSU0_aA8

31  Schomaker, J. (2019)

32  Ballarini, F., Martínez, M. C., Perez, M. D., Moncada, D., & Viola, H. (2013). Memory in elementary school children is improved by an unrelated novel experience. PLOS ONE. Retrieved July 17, 2022, from https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0066875

33  Schomaker, J. (2019)

34  Porubanova, M., Shaw, D. J., McKay, R., & Xygalatas, D. (n.d.). Memory for expectation-violating concepts: The effects of agents and cultural familiarity. Retrieved July 23, 2022, from https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0090684

35  Schomaker, J. (2019)

36  Reichardt, R., Polner, B., & Simor, P. (2020)

37  Düzel, E., Bunzeck, N., Guitart-Masip, M., & Düzel, S. (2009, August 26). Novelty-related motivation of anticipation and exploration by dopamine (NOMAD): Implications for healthy aging. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews. Retrieved July 23, 2022, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0149763409001298?casa_token=Rf_tN1X1AtsAAAAA%3AGL_C25SnzfKB2Hf-0lCzV85aYjrSzwZxXITd91xcpUkN6tpVl35mEZst2kJa-JaKyCbqGSU0_aA8

38  Li, W. W., Yu, H., Miller, D. J., Yang, F., & Rouen, C. (2020)

39  Ibid.

40  Haigh, E. A. P., Moore, M. T., Kashdan, T. D., and Fresco, D. M. (2011). Examination of the factor structure and concurrent validity of the Langer Mindfulness/Mindlessness Scale. Assessment 18, 11–26. doi: 10.1177/1073191110386342

41  Li, W. W., Yu, H., Miller, D. J., Yang, F., & Rouen, C. (2020)

42  González-Cutre, D., Sicilia, A., Sierra, A. C., Ferriz, R., and Hagger, M. S. (2016). Understanding the need for novelty from the perspective of self-determination theory. Pers. Indiv. Differ. 102, 159–169. doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2016.06.036

43  Jagtap, S. (2019). Design creativity: refined method for novelty assessment. Int. J. Des. Creativity Innov. 7, 99–115. doi: 10.1080/21650349.2018.1463176

44  Schomaker, J. (2019)

45  Porubanova, M., Shaw, D. J., McKay, R., & Xygalatas, D. (n.d.).

46  Ballarini, F., Martínez, M. C., Perez, M. D., Moncada, D., & Viola, H. (2013)

47  U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2016, September 27). How novelty boosts memory retention. National Institutes of Health. Retrieved July 4, 2022, from https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/how-novelty-boosts-memory-retention

48  Porubanova, M., Shaw, D. J., McKay, R., & Xygalatas, D. (n.d.).

49  Ibid.

50  Schomaker, J. (2019)

51  Ballarini, F., Martínez, M. C., Perez, M. D., Moncada, D., & Viola, H. (2013)

52  Li, W. W., Yu, H., Miller, D. J., Yang, F., & Rouen, C. (2020)

53  Goclowska, M. A., Ritter, S. R., Elliot, A. J., and Baas, M. (2019). Novelty seeking is linked to openness and extraversion, and can lead to greater creative performance. J. Pers. 87, 252–266. doi: 10.1111/jopy.12387

54  Cropley, A. J. (1990). Creativity and mental health in everyday life. Creativity Res. J. 13, 167–178. doi: 10.1080/10400419009534351

55  Li, W. W., Yu, H., Miller, D. J., Yang, F., & Rouen, C. (2020)

56  Ibid.

57  Langer, E. (2014). Mindfulness. Boston: Da Capo Press.

58  González-Cutre, D. et al., (2016)

59  Tze, V.M.C., Daniels, L.M. & Klassen, R.M. (2016). Evaluating the Relationship Between Boredom and Academic Outcomes: A Meta-Analysis. Educ Psychol Rev 28, 119–144 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-015-9301-y

60  Ibid.

61  Tutzer, F., Frajo-Apor, B., Pardeller, S., Plattner, B., Chernova, A., Haring, C., Holzner, B., Kemmler, G., Marksteiner, J., Miller, C., Schmidt, M., Sperner-Unterweger, B., & Hofer, A. (2021, January 10). Psychological distress, loneliness, and boredom among the general population of Tyrol, Austria during the COVID-19 pandemic. Frontiers. Retrieved July 23, 2022, from https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.691896/full 

62  Isacescu J, Struk AA, Danckert J. Cognitive and affective predictors of boredom proneness. Cogn Emot. (2017) 31:1741–8. doi: 10.1080/02699931.2016.1259995 

63  Tutzer, F. et al., (2021)

64  Vodanovich SJ, Verner KM, Gilbride TV.(1991) Boredom proneness: its relationship to positive and negative affect. Psychol Rep. 69:1139–46. doi: 10.2466/pr0.1991.69.3f.1139

65  Yan L, Gan Y, Ding X, Wu J, Duan H. The relationship between perceived stress and emotional distress during the COVID-19 outbreak: Effects of boredom proneness and coping style. (2020) 77:102328. doi: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2020.102328

66  Goldberg, Y. K., Eastwood, J. D., Laguardia, J., & Danckert, J. (2011). Boredom: An emotional experience distinct from apathy, anhedonia, or depression. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 30(6), 647–666. https://doi.org/10.1521/jscp.2011.30.6.647 

67  Ibid.

68  Ibid.

69  Ferreira, V. F. M., Paiva, G. P., Prando, N., Graça, C. R., & Kouyoumdjian, J. A. (2016, April 1). Time perception and age. Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria. Retrieved July 20, 2022, from https://www.scielo.br/j/anp/a/d6SvJK5tM6kCFPTmpVj5pSz/?lang=en

70  Ibid.

71  Ibid.

72  Koppel J, Rubin DC. Recent Advances in Understanding the Reminiscence Bump: The Importance of Cues in Guiding Recall from Autobiographical Memory. Psychol Sci. 2016 Apr 1;25(2):135-149. doi: 10.1177/0963721416631955. PMID: 27141156; PMCID: PMC4850910.

73  Hammond, C. (2013). Time warped: Unlocking the mysteries of time perception. Harper Perennial.

74  Ibid.

75  Popova, M. (2022, February 25). Why time slows down when we're afraid, speeds up as we age, and gets warped on vacation. The Marginalian. Retrieved July 22, 2022, from https://www.themarginalian.org/2013/07/15/time-warped-claudia-hammond/

76  Robison, E. (2016, July 1). Why does time seem to speed up with age? Scientific American. Retrieved July 15, 2022, from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-does-time-seem-to-speed-up-with-age/

77  Ibid.

78  Ibid.

79  Ferreira, V. F. M. et al., (2016)

80  Robison, E. (2016)

81  Ibid.

82  Friedman, R. A. (2013, July 20). Fast time and the aging mind. The New York Times. Retrieved July 18, 2022, from https://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/21/opinion/sunday/fast-time-and-the-aging-mind.html

83  Try! 35 ideas for doing something new & different in your life. Allan Karl | Keynote Speaker. (2015, September 4). Retrieved July 23, 2022, from https://www.allankarl.com/try-something-new-35-ideas-for-doing-something-new-different-in-your-life/