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This article was originally published on Particle. Read the original article. What are you searching for? Getting curious about curiosity. In a world increasingly driven by technology, human skills are becoming more important. Dr Kate Raynes-Goldie. Getting curious about curiosity In recent years, researchers have become curious about curiosity.
Their findings show that curiosity makes learning easier and boosts problem-solving ability. Curiouser and curiouser Researchers largely understand human curiosity as being linked to learning and information seeking. In terms of our evolution, it makes sense for humans to be curious about the world around them. They connect with people, sometimes across countries. Knowledge Wharton: Do you think it affects curiosity in general because it has become such an attractive piece to our society?
Livio: That may have eventually some negative consequences if people just stay at home and connect through all kinds of digital devices. I can see all kinds of shortcomings for that type of a society. But at the same time, the really important questions like advances in science and so on cannot be found through digital devices. Knowledge Wharton: You take time in the book to really delve into the science of this. Tell us what you found and why science has been so intrigued by this.
This has been research by psychologists, cognitive scientists and neuroscientists. There are two parts to this.
One is to understand our state of mind when we are curious. I alluded to that in that one type of curiosity creates an unpleasant sensation and another creates an anticipation of reward. It was found that especially the epistemic curiosity, when we try to learn new things, it really follows the paths of reward of dopamine, which is this neural transmitter that is associated with reward in our brains.
Knowledge Wharton: I think there are people who are naturally curious. It almost is ingrained in their personality as they come into the world. Is that the case? Most psychological traits, and curiosity is no exception, have a genetic component to them.
The fact that some people are much more curious than others largely has to do with their genetics. But, as in all cases, genetics is never the whole story. In the same way as nature versus nurture question, the two of them play a role. You can enhance curiosity by doing certain things, by asking questions, by encouraging people to be curious about things. Or you can suppress curiosity as we just noted, sometimes by regime, sometimes by ideologies, and so on.
People have something in them which they are born with, but the environment can help or be against enhancing this curiosity. Just to give an example, if you are the children of refugees that have to cross countries and look for food all the time, you may be curious about where do you find your next meal and not about contemplating the meaning of life. Is it fair to say that curiosity is one of the things that might be hard to improve?
Livio: No. You cannot change your genetic makeup, but through the education system you can actually improve on curiosity. Start with dinosaurs and then find interesting ways to connect from that to other concepts you would like them to learn, rather than starting from the beginning with something they may not be interested in.
Most people know that very young children are extremely curious. They constantly ask questions. They want to understand how the world around them is functioning so that they make fewer errors.
We do lose some elements of diversive curiosity or the ability to be surprised. But actually epistemic curiosity, that love of knowledge, appears to be roughly constant across all ages. Knowledge Wharton: When you are older, you do not take the risks that you did when you were, say, 20 or Livio: Correct. Your love of knowledge remains and your willingness to learn new things appears to be constant across all ages. People at very old ages are still willing to learn things, to discover new things, to read.
The topics in which you are curious about may change with age or with time or with whatever occupation you are in.
Different people are curious about different things, and the level of intensity of their curiosity may be different.
Livio: Kids are more curious in terms of diversity than perceptual curiosity. But I think in terms of epistemic curiosity, adults are as curious. This probably all started for survival. Campbell, Ph. During her entire graduate program, she worked as a research associate on the education team at the Greater Good Science Center. Become a subscribing member today. Get the science of a meaningful life delivered to your inbox. About the Author.
Emily Campbell Emily J. You May Also Enjoy. This article — and everything on this site — is funded by readers like you. Give Now.
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