Assignment 1: Curiosity

Please submit in the Assignments Folder by 9:00 am on Tuesday, September 15, and bring a copy of it to class.

Part 1: Basic Concepts

1. Define and compare perceptual versus epistemic curiosity. The concept of curiosity is divided into two primary categories: perceptual curiosity and epistemic curiosity. Perceptual curiosity is curiosity caused by an increase in perception and/or sensory stimulation. Perceptual curiosity is also known as specific exploration and specific exploration. Perceptual curiosity is an exploratory response to an environment. Novel and unexpected (unusual) environmental stimuli trigger perceptual curiosity. In essence, perceptual curiosity focuses on a specific object and is a sensory-level reaction. Perceptual curiosity lessens when there is a reduction of uncertainty associated with the environmental trigger. Alternatively, epistemic curiosity is the desire (or motivation) to learn and to know. Epistemic curiosity is derived from incomplete or incoherent knowledge. Epistemic curiosity is an information seeking and problem solving state of mind. Curiosity promoting strategies: http://ctl.byu.edu/home/information/improving-studentratings/course/intellectual-skills-developed/ 2. Who is a major researcher in this area, and what does he mean by collative variables? Berlyne is a major researcher in this area. Berlyne believes that specific exploration (perceptual curiosity) is stimulated by collative variables. Collative variables are curiosity arousing stimulus characteristics such as novelty, change, surprisingness, incongruity, complexity, ambiguity, and indistinctness. 3. What is the difference between specific and diversive curiosity? Diversive curiosity is also known as diversive exploration. Diversive curiosity is a type of exploration (or curiosity) that results when an organism becomes bored and begins searching for something of interest or of novelty. It is in fact less a form of curiosity and more a kind of boredom relief. Diversive curiosity does not result from a specific object. Specific curiosity is also known as specific exploration and perceptual curiosity. Specific curiosity is an exploratory response to an environment. Novel and unexpected (unusual) environmental stimuli trigger specific curiosity. In essence, specific curiosity focuses on a specific object and is a sensory-level reaction. Specific curiosity lessens when there is a reduction of uncertainty associated with the environmental trigger. 4. How is each of the following characteristics correlated with high levels of curiosity: positively, negatively, moderately? Characteristic high anxiety low creativity high intelligence tolerance for ambiguity low academic achievement Relationship to curiosity Equals low curiosity; Negatively p.79 Equals low curiosity; Positively p.78 Equals moderate creativity; Moderately p.76 Reciprocal relationship between ambiguity and curiosity; Negatively p.79 Equals low creativity; Positively p.76

good psychological adjustment

Equals high curiosity; Positively p.79

5. Explain the concept of optimal level of stimulation. Optimal level of stimulation refers to a stimulation level at which an organism is neither bored nor overwhelmed. Boredom exists below ones optimal level of stimulation. An optimal level of stimulation is likely to result in optimal performance. Optimal levels of stimulation will vary from organism to organism and are based on past experience. 6. Define and compare state and trait curiosity. State curiosity refers to curiosity in a particular situation. Trait curiosity refers to a general inclination to experience curiosity. Whereas Adam might be a generally curious individual (trait curiosity), it appears that he has little curiosity when it comes to dolls (trait curiosity). Margaret has a high curiosity for dolls (trait curiosity), but very little curiosity in general when it comes to living and going to school in rural Alabama (state curiosity). 7. What are some of the causes of and solutions to boredom in an educational setting? Cause: Disassociation with the material. Solution: Make the material relevant to the students. 1) Cause: Low level of arousal. Solution: Do something to activate curiosity and engage the students. 2) Cause: Repetitiveness. Solution: Vary instruction. 3) Cause: Constraint Solution: Allow childrens creativity to enter into activities. 4) Cause: Unpleasantness Solution: Eliminate all grading and make education freely available to all. 8. How does the concept of sensation seeking connect to the above? Does it offer a helpful dimension to the preceding concepts, or is it largely redundant? When organisms become bored they begin to seek unusual or novel sensations. Of course, organisms also seek such sensations because of various intrinsic motivations. The concept of sensation seeking does offer a helpful dimension to the preceding concepts because it adds another dimension to the discussion. In particular, it adds the element, risk, to the discussion.

Part 2: Example and Analysis

Describe in a written paragraph or two an incident from any context (school, personal experience, books, movies, etc.) that illustrates curiosity and/or boredom. That is, the situation could be low on boredom and high in curiosity arousal (or the opposite), high in both curiosity and boredom, or low in both. Include an analysis of what its characteristics were with regard to perceptual versus epistemic curiosity, any collative variables that were represented, specific versus diversive curiosity, and sensation seeking arousal. (We will use these examples in a classroom learning activity.) When I was approximately fourteen years old I was traveling with a friend and his family on the UK train system. While at one of the stations my friend and I were conversing with each other near the lip of the platform that dropped down to the train tracks. At some point in time during our conversation we noticed a shiny object down by the tracks just in front of us. Being the curious individual that I was at the time, I looked both ways for a potential incoming train and I slipped off the platform. After lowering myself down into the tracks, being careful to avoid the actual metal rails for I understood that they might be electrified; I quickly grabbed the object and pulled myself back up onto the platform. No less than a second after I was on the platform my friends father grabbed me by the hair, hauled me away from the lip of the platform, and began shouting at me furiously. This was a situation where boredom was low and curiosity was high. The specific type of curiosity I had in this instance was perceptual curiosity. The object down by the train tracks peaked my curiosity. In this instance there were at least two collative variables, indistinctness and incongruity. The object in question was not distinct and it was incongruous with its surroundings. Because the circumstance has to do with an object is most closely relates to specific curiosity. This event did not involve sensation seeking arousal.