A Research Paper By Uljana Kalinova, Life Coach, Career Coach, LATVIA
Importance of Developing Curiosity
Being curious is one of the key ingredients to a successful coaching session from the perspective of both the coach and the client. Together with presence, it enables all that happens in the coaching session – clarifying, exploring, reflecting, learning, and finding solutions, which in its turn ensures progress and change. For the coach, maintaining curiosity and presence is important to be able to support evoking awareness of the client through active listening, powerful questioning, and effective feedback. For the client maintaining curiosity is important to embrace the process of self-discovery with all that might come up, and to be ready to challenge limiting beliefs or structures. When I learned the importance of curiosity in the coaching process, I thought that maintaining curiosity will be a challenge for me previously I was considering myself as not being a curious person by nature. And I was asking: How does curiosity work? Is it possible to develop curiosity? If yes, how can it be done? This research paper aims to answer these questions. It first provides curious findings on what curiosity is, how it works and why it is important, followed by practical techniques for cultivating curiosity in adults.
Developing Curiosity Finding
Curious finding #1:there is no one common definition of curiosity and the discussions on what curiosity is and what it is not are ongoing. There are used many variations of curiosity definitions in the scientific and physiological fields for example “an impulse towards better cognition”, “a drive aimed not only at obtaining access to information-bearing stimulation, capable of dispelling uncertainties of the moment, but also at acquiring knowledge”, and“a cognitive induced deprivation that arises from the perception of a gap in knowledge and understanding”.[1]In more general terms curiosity is mainly defined as seeking information based on motivation. Although, there are many questions that challenge this general definition as well. For example, what specific type of motivation could drive curiosity – is it instinctive (externally stimulated) or intentional (internally stimulated)?[2]Can seek for information with strategic motivation to gain or prevent losing something be considered a curiosity or is it just information gathering?[3]What makes curiosity different from interest?[4] An assumption that makes it so hard to define curiosity is that it is linked with subjective experience, and mainly represents the language we use to describe subjective behavior and feelings.[5]
Curious finding #2:there is no full clarity in understanding the neuroscience behind curiosity. Many studies(performed to understand what specific brain part is activated in the state of curiosity) showed confusing results.[6]Although there is no clarity on what part of the brain is mainly responsible for curiosity, in general, the process flows as follows: When curiosity appears we feel some slightly uncomfortable feeling that comes up from the fact that we lack information. The part of the brain that is sensitive to unpleasant feelings gets activated, similarly as in reaction to when we feel thirsty or hungry. In response, the part of the brain responsible for learning and memory activates to support us in learning and memorizing information. The information seeking then is performed with help of our sensory organs. For example, it is a fact that we choose our visual information strategically to learn about the things that are of our interest. When we get to know the information the brain releases dopamine, the reward hormone, that makes us feel satisfied. Finally, when enough information is obtained and we feel satisfied, our curiosity decreases.[7],[8]
Curious finding #3: the main functions of curiosity are mainly defined as enabling learning. Although there is no sufficient agreement about the definition of curiosity and understanding of the neuroscience behind it, studies on curiosity or related topics (as interest) identified that it is directly linked with the process of enabling learning[9]. It was found that curiosity prepares the brain for learning and memorizing new information which makes learning driven by curiosity to be more effective. Study finds that when driven by curiosity we can better memorize not only information that is in our interest but also information that we might consider not important. It also finds that curiosity makes our brain anticipate rewards from learning which makes the learning process an enjoyable experience.[10]It cannot be underestimated how important the process of learning something unknown and uncertain played in the world’s progress and even evolution[11]. Learning enables us to find solutions, make better choices and decisions, and implement desired progress and change, in other words, ensures our own growth and transformation. This supports the importance of curiosity in the coaching process since it is based on self-exploration and learning as well.
To gain the most out of a curiosity state and enable learning, it is important to remember the secret ingredient of active curiosity which is motivation. Following curious findings help us understand more about its importance in curiosity for adults.
Curious finding #4: curiosity shows up for each personality differently. There is a concept that proposes that curiosity for different types of personalities is activated by different drivers. The concept behind this is that one can be curious more about human experiences, i.e. how we think, feel, and live; another is more curious about how things work and how we use them; another about possibilities of the world, i.e. different places, cultures, history; and some about the systems that shape the world.[12]Here you can take a short free test to learn your curiosity drivers.
Curious finding #5: the more uncertainty we feel due to gaps in information, the stronger is curiosity. The research suggests that our motivation to get to know something is increasing the more uncertain or uncomfortable feeling we have from the gap of information, despite the fact would we learn something we like or don’t.[13]
Curious finding #6: curiosity might decline with age, but it is not related to age itself. The studies show that the decline of curiosity with age is not related to cognitive capabilities, but to the decline of motivation to seek new information. It was found that with age we become more selective in where we want to spend our resources and we prioritize more to invest in emotionally meaningful goals, such as building relationships or taking care of well-being in familiar ways by avoiding choice or decision-making anxiety and complex learning.[14],[15]
All the above findings about the importance of motivation in curiosity reflect what makes it hard to define curiosity as we see that motivation is directly linked with our unique personality, passions, interest and needs, and subjective feeling of what makes us feel unconformable and what doesn’t, what matters to us and what doesn’t. This is especially relevant to understanding adults as we are more selective in where we direct our attention and energy.
Curious finding #7: it is possible to cultivate and maintain curiosity. Based on the findings above, we can conclude that if we have proper personal motivation, we can become curious about curiosity and intentionally cultivate and maintain it using the tools suitable for our unique personality. Different resources offer many techniques for that. In this research paper are proposed some of these available on the internet:
- Pay attention to your passions and dedicate time to discover and experience them more, be it reading, doing something creative, interest in science or history. As you invest with curiosity in something that is close to your soul, it is to your overall well-being and feeling of happiness.
- In areas of your interest or in areas where you feel specific discomfort due to not enough clarity, ask questions: What is it? What else is possible? How does it work? How it can be done differently? Why it is important?
- Train critical thinking. Try to understand or analyze something from different sides. Here is a good example for doing so: “Think of a strong belief you have (like that Netflix is the best streaming service) and flip it by coming up with strong arguments for the opposing side (like that Hulu is the best streaming service)”[16]. And here is another example of an approach to train critical thinking based on questioning misconceptions: “I read an article on Medium about learning styles. It didn’t cite any sources, and I vaguely remembered hearing somewhere that learning styles are a myth. Normally, I would’ve exited the article and continued on with my daily life, not giving it a second thought. But this time, I looked it up. I spent a while perusing through a multitude of research studies on the topic, discovering that “learning styles” don’t actually exist and that belief in them can be harmful”[17].
- Explore the opinions of others on some topic, in other words, “polish your mind with the minds of others”[18]. Ask others about their thought, opinion, experience, or learning on something you would like to explore. By collecting different views and sharing your own you not only cultivate curiosity but also stay open-minded, build empathy, enable opportunities for discussions, and learn from each other, make perspectives broader and build a stronger relationship.
- Take a walk and notice the environment around you. Try to find something you haven’t noticed previously on the route. To make it a more advanced exercise try to take a new route or take a new route without using the map – this would ensure that you will be more attentive to the environment around you as it will be a new experience. This approach benefits from cultivating your curiosity, as well as your physical health and well-being.
- Observe your infant or pet. Every time they make something new that you don’t know explain or explore what is behind this behavior. There are many things that babies or pets do for a reason. Not only that you will maintain your curiosity, but you also will learn more about your kid or pet, which will support you in becoming a wiser parent or pet owner and being able to give them what they need the most and make your mutual interactions more joyful.
This is what I learned and concluded while working on this paper about curiosity:
- The moment I asked a question about curiosity, I actually activated it and was driven by it to find answers. This supports the idea that curiosity for adults is linked with motivation to explore and get to know something – if it matters to us, if we have reasons to learn something, we will invest in learning about it. For adults curiosity is a choice.
- Understanding what drives your curiosity is important. This might require some exploration of the self. In the past, I made the untrue assumption that I am not curious by nature because I had no knowledge that there are different drivers for curiosity. During this research, I found out that it suits more for me more to be curious about artistic approaches through understanding unique experiences and sharing awareness about these experiences. And this is exactly how this research paper was performed: I was driven by curiosity through reflecting on my own experience, creating new awareness, and sharing this learning with others.
- As I was searching for information and challenging some pieces of it by asking questions, I trained my curiosity. This supports the idea that curiosity is trainable – for that we need to set a goal of cultivating curiosity and choose techniques that would work personally for us.
- As I was working on the topic that I felt passionate about, the exploration of it made me feel energized, engaged, fulfilled, and excited. This supports the idea that being curious and exploring what is of your true interest comes with benefits for your well-being and feeling of accomplishment.
References
[1]The psychology and neuroscience of curiosity - PMC (nih.gov) - PMC (nih.gov) by Celeste Kidd and Benjamin Y. Hayden, published on 4 November 2015
[2]People’s naïve belief about curiosity and interest: A qualitative study - PMC (nih.gov) by Sumeyye Aslan, Greta Fastrich, Ed Donnellan, Daniel J. W. Jones, Kou Murayama, published on30 September 2021
[3]The psychology and neuroscience of curiosity - PMC (nih.gov) by Celeste Kidd and Benjamin Y. Hayden, published on 4 November 2015
[4]People’s naïve belief about curiosity and interest: A qualitative study - PMC (nih.gov) by Sumeyye Aslan, Greta Fastrich, Ed Donnellan, Daniel J. W. Jones, Kou Murayama, published on 30 September 2021
[5]People’s naïve belief about curiosity and interest: A qualitative study - PMC (nih.gov) by Sumeyye Aslan, Greta Fastrich, Ed Donnellan, Daniel J. W. Jones, Kou Murayama, published on 30 September 2021
[6]The psychology and neuroscience of curiosity - PMC (nih.gov) by Celeste Kidd and Benjamin Y. Hayden, published on 4 November 2015
[7]Britannica’s Curiosity Compass: The Science of Curiosity by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., published on 2019
[8]The psychology and neuroscience of curiosity - PMC (nih.gov) by Celeste Kidd and Benjamin Y. Hayden, published on 4 November 2015
[9]People’s naïve belief about curiosity and interest: A qualitative study - PMC (nih.gov) by Sumeyye Aslan, Greta Fastrich, Ed Donnellan, Daniel J. W. Jones, Kou Murayama, published on 30 September 2021
[10]Curiosity Prepares the Brain for Better Learning - Scientific American by Daisy Yuhas, published on 1 October 2014
[11]How learning can change the course of evolution - PMC (nih.gov) by Leonel Aguilar, Stefano Bennati, Dirk Helbing, published on 5 September 2019
[12]Britannica’s Curiosity Compass: Curiosity Types by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., published on 2019
[13]Curiosity or savouring? Information seeking is modulated by both uncertainty and valence - PMC (nih.gov) by Lieke L. F. van Lieshout, Iris J. Traast, Floris P. de Lange, Roshan Cools, published on 24 September 2021
[14]Association between age and intellectual curiosity: the mediating roles of future time perspective and importance of curiosity - PMC (nih.gov) by Li Chu, Jeanne L. Tsai, Helene H. Fung, published on 27 April 2020
[15]The Benefits of Maintaining a Curious Mind in Older Age — Psychology In Action by Mary Whatley, published on 20 February 2020
[16]Britannica’s Curiosity Compass: 10 Ways to Improve Your Curiosity by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., published on 2019
[17]How to Cultivate Your Curiosity | Better Humans by Nadine, published on 11 July 2020
[18]Seven Ways to Be More Curious | Psychology Today by Jonathan Wai, published on 31 July 2014