Curiosity

Specific curiosity

-Actively pursuing depth of experience with particular stimuli when information is lacking -Analogous to flow EX) carnival; new city; buffet

The Process of Curiosity Kashdan, Rose, & Fincham (2004)

1) increase in attentional allocation toward novel and/or challenging stimuli 2) cognitive and/or behavioral exploration of rewarding stimuli 3) flow-like engagement with rewarding activities 4) Assimilation and accommodation of novel experiences into new understanding EX) yo-yo

What is the positive emotional-motivational system associated with?

A positive emotional-motivational system associated with the recognition, pursuit, and self-regulation of novelty and challenge

Adults 60-86 years old study (Silvia & Kashdan, 2009)

Adults 60-86 years old were more likely to be alive after 5 years if they were more curious -controlled for age, smoking, cancer, cardiovascular disease, etc. More "curious" rats (explored new environments) with tumors lived 25% longer than less curious rats -Curiosity (curious=willingness to explore new environments) confers resiliency (ability to recover quickly from difficulties)?

What are the 2 Types of Curiosity called? by whom?

Berlyne's 2 Types of Curiosity: 1) Diversive curiosity 2) Specific curiosity

What virtue is curiosity classified under?

Classified under virtue of Wisdom and Knowledge

What does Curiosity further generate opportunities for?

Curiosity generates further opportunities for the exploration of novel stimuli and knowledge...

What has Curiosity been associated with?

Curiosity has been associated with: Positive affect Interpersonal closeness Well-being Resilience Mastery/competence

How is curiosity rewarding and motivating? why?

Curiosity is intrinsically rewarding/motivating due to its tendency to encourage development of personally meaningful interests and goals

How do Diversive and Specific operate?

Diversive and specific can operate in tandem or separately

Kashdan & Steger (2007)

Examined curiosity's role as facilitator of well-being and meaning in life 97 undergraduates completed trait and daily measure of curiosity, daily recordings of meaning and life satisfaction for 21 days

2 dimensions of CEI?

Exploration (appetitive strivings for novelty, challenge; similar to diversive)-how much you seek those things out Absorption (full engagement in an activity; similar to specific)-~specific curiosity

Kashdan & Steger (2007) Results

For those high in trait curiosity, the experience of more daily curiosity associated with greater meaning and life satisfaction. Greater daily curiosity also associated with persistence in meaning from one day to another

Kashdan & Steger concluded that curiosity is ______________________...

Kashdan & Steger concluded that curiosity is "an ingredient in the development of well-being and meaning in life."

Kashdan & Steger (2007) Hypothesis

Major Hypotheses: H1: High trait curiosity will have higher well-being on days they are more curious H2: Both trait and daily curiosity lead to sustainable meaning

Broaden and Build

Positive emotions broaden thinking about possible actions - opening awareness to a larger range of thoughts and actions than is typical; increase long-term resources

What is the key feature of curiosity?

Regulation of attentional resources is key feature

Sample items of CEI?

Sample items: "Everywhere I go, I am out looking for new things or experiences." (exploration) "When I am participating in an activity, I tend to get so involved that I lose track of time." (absorption)

How do we measure curiosity?

State-Trait Curiosity Inventory (Spielberger, 1979) Curiosity and Exploration Inventory- CEI (Kashdan et al., 2004)

What good is trait curiosity?

Trait curiosity has been shown to have modest-to-strong correlations with a variety of positive psychology concepts

When are we especially prone to experience curiosity-stimulu?

We are especially prone to experience curiosity-when stimuli are high in: 1) Novelty: baby 2) Complexity: Jackson Pollock 3) Uncertainty: mystery thriller 4) Violation of expectations: alligator in school fountain

When are we curious-meaning?

When we have personally meaningful interests and goals

What is curiosity?

a desire to gratify the mind with new information or objects of interest for their own sake Novelty-seeking, openness to experience

accommodation

change our current understanding

Examples of broaden and build?

curious exploration builds physical stamina Seeking knowledge builds intellectual skills Curiosity about new people builds social network

Diversive curiosity

seeking variety, novelty, complexity to increase arousal

Assimilation

taking in info and processing information