Introducing What You Need to Know about Curiosity

And why you need to know it to take advantage.

We are driven by our curiosity. Every single day we seek out and consume oceans of information. The access to consuming has never been better, and there is no way any single human could even scratch the surface of all information readily available.

By knowing more about what drives us to seek new information, we can better equip ourselves to be more purposeful in our hunt.

Curiosity might have killed the cat, but it drove us to where we are today.

What Is Curiosity?

Curiosity is a complex topic. A scientific definition is constantly in flux, but generally it is seen as a desire to seek information to close gaps in knowledge¹. To close a knowledge gap, we first need to wonder about things.

I like to think of curiosity as wonder put into action. To wonder about something is to keep it in your thoughts, while to be curious is to engage actively to close the gap.

William James, known as the “Father of American Psychology”, described curiosity as “the impulse towards better cognition”.

We are driven to want to understand more about something we don’t currently know.

Dimensions of Curiosity

Psychologist Daniel Berlyne studied curiosity in the 20th century. His research distinguished between two dimensions of curiosity²:

• Perceptual versus epistemic

• Specific versus diversive

Perceptual Versus Epistemic

Perceptual curiosity is what causes us to seek new experiences, and diminishes over time. Epistemic curiosity is the opposite. Its aim is to obtain new information and acquire knowledge.

Any time you’ve felt an urge to figure out the reason for something, your epistemic curiosity was compelling you. Epistemic curiosity separates humans in our quest for knowledge.

Specific Versus Diversive

Specific curiosity is related to certain pieces of information. Diversive curiosity is a general desire for stimulation.

An example of specific curiosity is monkeys solving mechanical puzzles, while rats exploring a maze, seeking to explore unfamiliar sections, exemplify diversive curiosity.

State and Trait Curiosity

Curiosity also differs by state and trait³. If curiosity is the desire to develop your knowledge or a skill, this desire fluctuates.

Based on your state, you might be more curious. State curiosity is a particular desire to know something at a particular time. Something has piqued your curiosity in that moment.

Trait curiosity is characteristic. Certain individuals are just more interested in developing new knowledge and skills.

But What Drives Curiosity?

Have you ever been completely sure of something, and then had that belief challenged in a discussion with a friend? One of you HAS to be wrong. Maybe you’re both dumb. One thing is sure though - you get irresistibly curious.

Curiosity is influenced by the belief that you should know something, and whether you actually know it or not. If you are completely certain you know an answer, your curiosity evaporates. When you believe you ALMOST know the answer, your curiosity peaks⁴.

Being confident and wrong, and almost knowing something are major drivers of curiosity.

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Put yourself into situations that challenge your beliefs. You’ll find you are more curious. Additionally, studies have shown that material learned during states of high curiosity sticks better in our memory. Being curious enables more effective learning experiences⁵.

If you challenge yourself, you can’t lose.

Why Do We Need Curiosity?

The digital age is one of constant change. Being taught a skill in a school does not mean it will be a fit for the constant evolution of life. We need to keep up. Curiosity is at the heart of the digital age. Applying curiosity allows us to thrive, by ensuring we strive to evolve and keep up with the ever-changing demands we face.

Personal Curiosity

Curiosity acts as an amplifier for other skills. Simply being curious in a conversation gets you to ask the other person more questions, and makes you actually interested in listening to the response. It makes us learn better and be more innovative by questioning the things around us. We become better communicators, more interesting and more interested.

Professional Curiosity

Many jobs stifle curiosity⁶. Hiding behind statements like “it’s just how we’ve always done things” or “stop worrying, start doing” - any challenges to the status quo are discouraged in the name of efficiency.

We need to be aware of this, and fight back against this stifling such that it does not seep into our daily lives, impacting our personal relations.

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One of the most valuable aspects of curiosity in the workplace is that it enhances communication skills. Simply having a curious individual asking questions ensures information is shared openly. This helps the team perform.

In a 2019 report⁷, IBM highlighted how executives valued behavioral skill more than hard skills for members of the workforce:

Today, I believe these skills still represent what makes you the most attractive in the workplace, and will continue to. Notice how many relate to curiosity - adaptability, teamwork, communication, creativity.

With the true embracing of AI that has happened and will continue to happen, flexibility and adaptability to change will continue to be of utmost importance.

So how do we best adapt to change?

By being curious about what’s next.

Conclusion

Curiosity is dimensional. Two major dimensions are perceptual versus epistemic curiosity, and specific versus diversive. Curiosity fluctuates, based on an individuals state and personal traits. Certain states, like a desire to close an information gap, leave curiosity piqued, and some individuals are more curious by nature.

Being curious enables more effective learning experiences, and acts as an amplifier for other skills. It is a major factor in communication, as a genuine interest leads to more fulfilling conversations. Soft skills are in demand professionally, and curiosity is at the core of many of these.

Adaptability will only continue to get more necessary. Curiosity helps us deal with the pace of change in our digital world, and sets us up to succeed.

1. Loewenstein, G. (1994). The psychology of curiosity: A review and reinterpretation. Psychological bulletin, 116(1), 75.

2. BERLYNE, D.E. (1954), A THEORY OF HUMAN CURIOSITY. British Journal of Psychology. General Section, 45: 180-191.

3. Naylor, F.D. (1981), A State-Trait Curiosity Inventory. Australian Psychologist, 16: 172-183.

4. Metcalfe, J., Vuorre, M., Towner, E., & Eich, T. S. (2023). Curiosity: The effects of feedback and confidence on the desire to know. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 152(2), 464–482.

5. Gruber, M. J., Gelman, B. D., & Ranganath, C. (2014). States of curiosity modulate hippocampus-dependent learning via the dopaminergic circuit. Neuron, 84(2), 486–496.

6. Gino, F. (2018), The Business Case for Curiosity, HBR, 2018, Sept-Oct.

7. IBM Report (2019), The enterprise guide to closing the skills gap.