"Attention deficits linked with proclivity to explore while foraging".
"Our findings suggest that ADHD attributes may confer foraging advantages in some environments and invite the possibility that this condition may reflect an adaptation favouring exploration over exploitation."
I first encountered the "exploration over exploitation" in the context of reinforcement learning in computer science. The basic idea is, should you go to your favorite restaurant, or a restaurant you've never been to before? If you're in a new city where you've been to few restaurants, you should probably go to a new one. If you're in a city where you've lived for 10 years, and have been to most restaurants, maybe just go to the favorite. Where is the crossover point in between? You get the idea. Do you "exploit" the knowledge you have already, or do you "explore" to obtain more knowledge?
For the simplest cases, mathematicians have come up with formulas, and for complex cases, computer scientists have run simulations. In reinforcement learning, algorithms often have a tunable "hyperparameter" that can be used to increase the "exploration". Some problems require more "exploration" than others.
It appears the process of evolution may have evolved a variety of personalities to prioritize "exploration" or "exploitation".
Attention deficits linked with proclivity to explore while foraging
