An Attempt to Measure Curiosity in Elementary School Children

This article describes an attempt to find ways to measure the curiosity of elementary-school children with paper-and-pencil instruments.* The need for the study of children's curiosity is indicated by statements claiming that curiosity is important in creativity, problem solving, and some types of learning. It is essential that the nature of curiosity in children be empirically investigated. Studying this attribute in school children, however, is fraught with uncertainties because the experimental environment abounds in variables which are not easily controlled. In fact, many of the determinants of curiosity may not be identifiable. It is obvious that many investigators are aware of this situation, since there is a dearth of studies dealing with the curiosity of school children. In the comprehensive bibliography of more than 450 references in Berlyne's Conflict, Arousal and Curiosity (1960), there is no reference to classroom behavior. In fact, with the exception of the works of Piaget, one reference dating from 1930, and three articles reporting on the vision of infants, children are not mentioned specifically in the bibliography. A review of the literature on curiosity, however, revealed a large number of studies with subhuman species, many theoretical statements, and a host of opinions (e.g., Harlow, 1950; Maslow, 1943; Roe, 1961). Some of the opinions date back to early periods of history (e.g., Ecclesiasticus). PROCEDURE

Curiosity · Developmental psychology · Mathematics education · Measure (data warehouse · Primary education · Computer Science · Psychological and Educational Research Studies · Psychology · Social Psychology

• Measuring exploratory behavior in young children

  Bruce B Henderson, Bruce Henderson et al.•Developmental Psychology•1979

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• Conflict, arousal, and curiosity.

  D E Berlyne•1960

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• A theory of human motivation

  Abraham H Maslow•Psychological Review•1943

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