Curiosity as a metacognitive feeling

Curiosity across the adult lifespan: Age-related differences in state and trait curiosity

Maintaining curiosity in older age may be a key predictor of successful aging, but prior research on the relationship between curiosity and age is mixed, with mounting evidence showing that curiosity declines with age. However, there is evidence suggesting that state curiosity - a situational feeling of curiosity in response to information - may increase with age. Prior work has largely not adequately differentiated state and trait curiosity when examining its relationship with age. In a large lifespan sample (pilot study N = 193; preregistered main study N = 1,218), we assess trait curiosity and state curiosity (using a trivia rating task) to examine the relationship between each construct and age. The results show that, in line with prior work, trait curiosity shows a negative relationship with age, but state curiosity shows a positive relationship with age, while controlling for demographic variables. The results suggest that curiosity may have a more complex relationship with age than previously considered, which can have implications for engagement in cognitive activities in everyday life.

The Neural Markers of Perceptual Uncertainty/Curiosity-A Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Pilot Study

Background: Curiosity is an immanent aspect of human experience linked to motivation, information-seeking, and learning processes. Previous research has highlighted the significant role of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) in curiosity-driven behaviors, particularly in processing uncertainty and evaluating information. Methods: This study aimed to examine cortical activation during the induction of perceptual uncertainty using a modified blurred picture paradigm. A total of 15 participants were tested with fNIRS (functional near-infrared spectroscopy) while viewing pairs of images designed to induce perceptual uncertainty. Results: The results revealed a differential hemodynamic response in one of the analyzed channels associated with orbitofrontal cortex activation, with higher activity when uncertainty was reduced (the matching condition compared to the non-matching condition). Conclusions: These findings confirm the existence of neural pathways of curiosity. Furthermore, our study also highlights the spatial limitations of fNIRS in precisely localizing OFC activity.

Is Uncertainty in the Eyes or in Parents' Talk? Linking an Eye-Tracking Measure of Toddlers' Core Metacognition to Parental Metacognitive Talk

Recent studies have established that even preverbal infants can monitor and regulate their mental states, raising the question of the variables involved in this early metacognitive development. Here, the metacognition of fifty-five 18-month-old (27 females; mostly White; data collection: 2023) was assessed using an eye-tracking paradigm designed to capture children's ability to seek information (i.e., a cue) under uncertainty. Moreover, the relations between toddlers' metacognition and parental (52 mothers) metacognitive talk during a 10-min play session were also examined. Beyond replicating previous data showing metacognitive accuracy in toddlerhood, our results indicated that the frequency of parental utterances referring to metacognitive monitoring-but not metacognitive regulation-was related to toddlers' metacognition (OR = 1.3). Implications for sociocultural models of metacognitive development are discussed.

Does repetition enhance curiosity to learn trivia question answers? Implications for memory and motivated learning

Curiosity, an intrinsic desire to seek new information, benefits motivation and learning. While curiosity is associated with novelty, less is known about how the repetition of a question without its answer affects curiosity and memory. In two experiments, participants viewed 60 trivia questions, half of which were repeated, and rated their curiosity to learn the answers. Repeated questions had their answers revealed during the second presentation, and participants were given a cued-recall test after 24 h. We found that curiosity ratings remained constant across presentations, but when repeated and non-repeated questions were intermixed, participants were more curious about non-repeated questions, which were relatively more novel (Experiment 1). However, when participants guessed answers before studying them (pretesting), they were more curious about repeated questions (Experiment 2). Curiosity ratings also increased across presentations, perhaps reflecting greater cognitive agency motivated by an eagerness to verify one's guess. Overall, the subjective experience of curiosity appears to be influenced by both relative novelty, as manipulated through repetition, and task demands, specifically whether individuals engage in pretesting, indicating that curiosity-based learning is shaped by various cognitive operations.

The Infant and Toddler Curiosity Questionnaire: A Validated Caregiver-Report Measure of Curiosity in Children From 5 to 24 Months

Humans are curious. Especially children are known for their drive to explore and learn, which is crucial for developing in and navigating through our complex world. Naturally, some children may be more curious than others, leading to differences in how they structure their own learning experiences, subsequently impacting their developmental trajectories. However, there is a gap in the research field for a reliable measure of such differences early in development. Across three studies, we present the development and assessment of the Infant and Toddler Curiosity Questionnaire (ITCQ), the first caregiver report measure to fill this gap. Items cover observable exploration behaviors in 5- to 24-month-olds to capture general tendencies of their desire to actively explore their immediate surroundings and are evaluated on a 7-point Likert-scale. Exploratory factor analyses and structural equation modeling on a sample of N = 370 UK caregivers led to the final selection of 23 items and provided evidence that the scale allows the reliable computation of an overall curiosity score, with three emergent subscales (Sensory, Investigative, and Interactive) explaining additional variance in the data. Furthermore, the scale had good test-retest reliability after 7-14 days (N = 67) and related to the child's temperament (N = 75; positively with surgency and effortful control, negatively with negative affect) offering evidence of its validity as a trait measure. Together, these results support the scale's reliability and validity, showcasing the ITCQ as a powerful tool for developmental research.

Validation of the I- and D-type epistemic curiosity scale among young Chinese children and implications on early curiosity nurture

Curiosity, an innate and intrinsic motivation to explore, makes vital contributions to learning in individuals of various ages. Epistemic curiosity centers on the drive to close information gaps and can be classified into joyous exploration and interest (I) and deprivation sensitivity (D) types. Each subtype is associated with different academic achievements, personality traits, emotions, and aspects of creativity. Building on the concept of epistemic curiosity in adults, the I- and D-type Epistemic Curiosity in Young Children (I/D-YC) scale was developed. The purpose of the present study was to validate the Chinese I/D-YC scale for preschoolers. Both exploratory factor analyses of data from 111 parents (Sample 1) and confirmatory factor analyses of data from 389 parents (Sample 2) indicated that the Chinese I/D-YC replicated the two-factor structure of the original scale. The scales' convergent validity was examined with data from 189 parents (Sample 3) and 129 teachers (Sample 4), as its reliability and test-retest reliability was respectively examined with data from 389 to 82 parents (from sample 2). The results established the Chinese I/D-YC scale as a valid and reliable measure of epistemic curious behaviors in young Chinese children. Moreover, the cultivation of epistemic curiosity should weaken inhibition and this might enhance well-being and creativity and learning.

Exposure to detectable inaccuracies makes children more diligent fact-checkers of novel claims

How do children decide when to believe a claim? Here we show that children fact-check claims more and are better able to catch misinformation when they have been exposed to detectable inaccuracies. In two experiments (N = 122), 4-7-year-old children exposed to falsity (as opposed to all true information) sampled more evidence before verifying a test claim in a novel domain. Children's evidentiary standards were graded: fact-checking increased with higher proportions of false statements heard during exposure. A simulation suggests that children's behaviour is adaptive, because increased fact-checking in more dubious environments supports the discovery of potential misinformation. Importantly, children were least diligent at fact-checking a new claim when all prior information was true, suggesting that sanitizing children's informational environments may inadvertently dampen their natural scepticism. Instead, these findings support the counterintuitive possibility that exposing children to some nonsense may scaffold vigilance towards more subtle misinformation in the future.

Systematic Curiosity as an Integrative Tool for Human Flourishing: A Conceptual Review and Framework

This paper reviews seventy years of theoretical research and proposes systematic curiosity as an integrative tool for human flourishing with a focus on four key aspects: firstly, acknowledge curiosity's multidimensional nature instead of harmonizing its complex taxonomy; secondly, emphasizing intentional curiosity as opposed to impulsive curiosity; thirdly, prioritizing domain-general curiosity for broader applicability across educational, organizational, and therapeutic settings; and lastly, focusing on curiosity as a developable skill rather than an innate trait. By segmenting systematic curiosity into cognitive, emotional, and behavioral components, and relating these to interactions with the self, others, and the world, the framework aims to apply across the spectrum of human experience. Furthermore, the framework encourages an exploration of various evidence-based activities for flourishing so individuals can discover the most suitable strategies for their specific context. Implications for both theory and practice are examined, limitations are discussed, and avenues for future research are suggested.

Insights from Ecstatic Epilepsy: From Uncertainty to Metacognitive Feelings

Ecstatic epilepsy is a rare form of focal epilepsy linked to the anterior insula in which patients experience a blissful state with a unique set of symptoms, including a feeling of physical well-being, mental clarity, a sense of oneness with the universe, and time dilation. In this chapter, we reflect on how these symptoms coincide with our current knowledge of the insula's functions and explore how this stunning natural model can further inform our understanding of the insula's role in the sentient self, uncertainty and surprise monitoring, and metacognitive feelings.

Flexible information-seeking in chimpanzees

Humans can flexibly use metacognition to monitor their own knowledge and strategically acquire new information when needed. While humans can deploy these skills across a variety of contexts, most evidence for metacognition in animals has focused on simple situations, such as seeking out information about the location of food. Here, we examine the flexibility, breadth, and limits of this skill in chimpanzees. We tested semi-free-ranging chimpanzees on a novel task where they could seek information by standing up to peer into different containers. In Study 1, we tested n = 47 chimpanzees to assess if chimpanzees would spontaneously engage in information-seeking without prior experience, as well as to characterize individual variation in this propensity. We found that many chimpanzees engaged in information-seeking with minimal experience, and that younger chimpanzees and females were more likely to do so. In two subsequent studies, we then further tested chimpanzees who initially showed robust information-seeking on new variations of this task, to disentangle the cognitive processing shaping their behaviors. In Study 2, we examined how a subset of n = 12 chimpanzees applied these skills to seek information about the location versus the identity of rewards, and found that chimpanzees were equally adept at seeking out location and identity information. In Study 3, we examined whether a subset of n = 6 chimpanzees could apply these skills to make more efficacious decisions when faced with uncertainty about reward payoffs. Chimpanzees were able to use information-seeking to resolve risk and choose more optimally when faced with uncertain payoffs, although they often also engaged in information-seeking when it was not strictly necessary. These results identify core features of flexible metacognition that chimpanzees share with humans, as well as constraints that may represent key evolutionary shifts in human cognition.

A transdisciplinary view on curiosity beyond linguistic humans: animals, infants, and artificial intelligence

Curiosity is a core driver for life-long learning, problem-solving and decision-making. In a broad sense, curiosity is defined as the intrinsically motivated acquisition of novel information. Despite a decades-long history of curiosity research and the earliest human theories arising from studies of laboratory rodents, curiosity has mainly been considered in two camps: 'linguistic human' and 'other'. This is despite psychology being heritable, and there are many continuities in cognitive capacities across the animal kingdom. Boundary-pushing cross-disciplinary debates on curiosity are lacking, and the relative exclusion of pre-linguistic infants and non-human animals has led to a scientific impasse which more broadly impedes the development of artificially intelligent systems modelled on curiosity in natural agents. In this review, we synthesize literature across multiple disciplines that have studied curiosity in non-verbal systems. By highlighting how similar findings have been produced across the separate disciplines of animal behaviour, developmental psychology, neuroscience, and computational cognition, we discuss how this can be used to advance our understanding of curiosity. We propose, for the first time, how features of curiosity could be quantified and therefore studied more operationally across systems: across different species, developmental stages, and natural or artificial agents.

Role of Metacognitive Confidence Judgments in Curiosity: Different Effects of Confidence on Curiosity Across Epistemic and Perceptual Domains

Previous research suggests that curiosity is sometimes induced by novel information one has no relevant knowledge about, but it is sometimes induced by new information about something that one is familiar with and has prior knowledge about. However, the conditions under which novelty or familiarity triggers curiosity remain unclear. Using metacognitive confidence judgments as a proxy to quantify the amount of knowledge, this study evaluates the relationship between the amount of relevant knowledge and curiosity. We reviewed previous studies on the relationship between subjective curiosity and confidence and reanalyzed existing large-sample data. The findings indicate that the relationship between curiosity and confidence differs depending on the nature of the stimuli: epistemic versus perceptual. Regarding perceptual stimuli, curiosity is stronger when individuals have lower confidence levels. By contrast, for epistemic stimuli, curiosity is stronger when individuals have higher confidence levels. These results suggest that curiosity triggered by perceptual stimuli is based on perceived novelty, whereas that triggered by epistemic stimuli is based on familiarity with prior knowledge.

Curiosity and the dynamics of optimal exploration

What drives our curiosity remains an elusive and hotly debated issue, with multiple hypotheses proposed but a cohesive account yet to be established. This review discusses traditional and emergent theories that frame curiosity as a desire to know and a drive to learn, respectively. We adopt a model-based approach that maps the temporal dynamics of various factors underlying curiosity-based exploration, such as uncertainty, information gain, and learning progress. In so doing, we identify the limitations of past theories and posit an integrated account that harnesses their strengths in describing curiosity as a tool for optimal environmental exploration. In our unified account, curiosity serves as a 'common currency' for exploration, which must be balanced with other drives such as safety and hunger to achieve efficient action.

Individual differences in processing speed and curiosity explain infant habituation and dishabituation performance

Habituation and dishabituation are the most prevalent measures of infant cognitive functioning, and they have reliably been shown to predict later cognitive outcomes. Yet, the exact mechanisms underlying infant habituation and dishabituation are still unclear. To investigate them, we tested 106 8-month-old infants on a classic habituation task and a novel visual learning task. We used a hierarchical Bayesian model to identify individual differences in sustained attention, learning performance, processing speed and curiosity from the visual learning task. These factors were then related to habituation and dishabituation. We found that habituation time was related to individual differences in processing speed, while dishabituation was related to curiosity, but only for infants who did not habituate. These results offer novel insights in the mechanisms underlying habituation and serve as proof of concept for hierarchical models as an effective tool to measure individual differences in infant cognitive functioning. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: We used a hierarchical Bayesian model to measure individual differences in infants' processing speed, learning performance, sustained attention, and curiosity. Faster processing speed was related to shorter habituation time. High curiosity was related to stronger dishabituation responses, but only for infants who did not habituate.

The Role of Talking Faces in Infant Language Learning: Mind the Gap between Screen-Based Settings and Real-Life Communicative Interactions

Over the last few decades, developmental (psycho) linguists have demonstrated that perceiving talking faces audio-visually is important for early language acquisition. Using mostly well-controlled and screen-based laboratory approaches, this line of research has shown that paying attention to talking faces is likely to be one of the powerful strategies infants use to learn their native(s) language(s). In this review, we combine evidence from these screen-based studies with another line of research that has studied how infants learn novel words and deploy their visual attention during naturalistic play. In our view, this is an important step toward developing an integrated account of how infants effectively extract audiovisual information from talkers' faces during early language learning. We identify three factors that have been understudied so far, despite the fact that they are likely to have an important impact on how infants deploy their attention (or not) toward talking faces during social interactions: social contingency, speaker characteristics, and task- dependencies. Last, we propose ideas to address these issues in future research, with the aim of reducing the existing knowledge gap between current experimental studies and the many ways infants can and do effectively rely upon the audiovisual information extracted from talking faces in their real-life language environment.

Piquing Curiosity: Déjà vu-Like States Are Associated with Feelings of Curiosity and Information-Seeking Behaviors

Curiosity during learning increases information-seeking behaviors and subsequent memory retrieval success, yet the mechanisms that drive curiosity and its accompanying information-seeking behaviors remain elusive. Hints throughout the literature suggest that curiosity may result from a metacognitive signal-possibly of closeness to a not yet accessible piece of information-that in turn leads the experiencer to seek out additional information that will resolve a perceptibly small knowledge gap. We examined whether metacognition sensations thought to signal the likely presence of an as yet unretrieved relevant memory (such as familiarity or déjà vu) might be involved. Across two experiments, when cued recall failed, participants gave higher curiosity ratings during reported déjà vu (Experiment 1) or déjà entendu (Experiment 2), and these states were associated with increased expenditure of limited experimental resources to discover the answer. Participants also spent more time attempting to retrieve information and generated more incorrect information when experiencing these déjà vu-like states than when not. We propose that metacognition signaling of the possible presence of an as yet unretrieved but relevant memory may drive curiosity and prompt information-seeking that includes further search efforts.