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Epistemic curiosity and incidental recognition in relation to degree of uncertainty: Some general trends and intersubject differences
Author(s) -
Boykin A. Wade,
Harackiewicz Judith
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
british journal of psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.536
H-Index - 92
eISSN - 2044-8295
pISSN - 0007-1269
DOI - 10.1111/j.2044-8295.1981.tb02162.x
Subject(s) - curiosity , psychology , degree (music) , relation (database) , orientation (vector space) , social psychology , cognitive psychology , mathematics , computer science , data mining , physics , geometry , acoustics
This study sought to clarify the empirical relationships between epistemic curiosity, incidental recognition, and degree of uncertainty. Sixty‐four college and high school students had to solve four problems differing in level of uncertainty, measured in terms of the nearness in probability of being correct of four response alternatives, on each of eight trials. Additionally, subjects indicated how curious they were to learn the correct answer for each problem just prior to being shown that answer. Subsequently, an incidental recognition test for the correct answers was administered. It was revealed that both epistemic curiosity and recognition bore monotonically increasing relationships to degree of uncertainty, and that systematic intersubject differences in expressed curiosity but not recognition obtain. The results are discussed in terms of the prevailing theoretical orientation generally, and particularly in terms of certain conflicting predictions. Considerations for future research directions are entertained.