Curiosity and Information Gaps:

>Loewenstein (1994) offers an intriguing theory of curiosity based on information theory. He proposes an information gap theory, which he says “views curiosity as arising when attention becomes focused on a gap in one's knowledge. Such information gaps produce the feeling of deprivation labeled curiosity. The curious individual is motivated to obtain the missing information to reduce or eliminate the feeling of deprivation”. Loewenstein defines information gaps using information theory's uncertainty formula, [formula]. The absolute size of an information gap is the person's “informational goal” (usually total certainty) minus the person's current level of information.< 

Paul Silvia, Exploring the Psychology of Interest