Fascination Versus a Need-To-Know Feeling: Characteristics and Motivating Factors of Interest- and Deprivation-Curiosity
Abstract
Aims and Purpose: Epistemic curiosity is the desire to acquire new information to stimulate pleasure associated with learning and discovery (interest-type curiosity) or reduce vexing feelings of uncertainty and incomprehension (deprivation-type curiosity). The first aim of this thesis is to bring to light the distinct characteristics of interest- and deprivation-curiosity - in what ways are these meaningfully different forms of curiosity, and do they predict different learning outcomes? The second aim of this thesis is to investigate the motivating factors affecting whether curiosity manifests as interest or deprivation in a given moment. The motivating factors investigated were (a) whether learning is promotion-focused or prevention-focused, and (b) whether curiosity is accompanied by high or low stress/frustration.
Method: This thesis comprises five studies (N ~ 400 each). All participants were adults from the UK, and samples were representative of the general population on sociodemographic variables such as gender and age. Studies 1-3 were cross-sectional correlational studies that test hypotheses about associations between trait-interest/-deprivation and other traits and tendencies proposed by curiosity theories, providing insights into the distinctiveness and potential underlying mechanisms of interest- and deprivation-curiosity. Studies 4-5 were online experiments aimed at inducing state-curiosity to test hypotheses regarding (a) the factors that predict or influence curiosity's manifestation as interest- or deprivation-type, and (b) whether feeling interest- or deprivation-curiosity predicts different learning outcomes upon acquiring the desired information.
Findings: Regarding the first aim, I show that trait-interest and -deprivation are associated with distinct benefits and drawbacks (Study 1). In general, interest tended to be associated with more benefits (e.g., higher happiness) and deprivation with more drawbacks (e.g., higher indecisiveness). I also show that interest and deprivation are linked to different ways of processing uncertainty (Study 2), as well as differences in intensity (i.e., curiosity strength) and different tendencies to focus on promotion- versus prevention-focused learning goals (Study 3). Regarding the learning effects predicted by these different types of curiosity, I show that interest and deprivation both predict greater odds of wanting to learn more (i.e., becoming curious about other, related question to the topic encountered) but predict different (a) levels of motivation to learn, (b) time spent exploring, (c) forms of satisfaction from learning, and (d) emotional reactions to the information learned (Studies 4-5).
Regarding the second aim of the thesis, I find that searching for information to promote a positive outcome (promotion-focused learning) predicts a rise in interest-curiosity, compared to searching for information to prevent a negative outcome (prevention-focused learning), which instead predicts a rise in deprivation-curiosity (Study 4). I also find that feeling relaxed while curious (specifically, non-frustrated) facilitates the intensification of interest-curiosity, while feeling pressure while curious (specifically, stressed and/or frustrated) facilitates the intensification of deprivation-curiosity (Study 5).