Curiosity, Play, Creativity (chpt.12) Flashcards
Exploring, curiosity
‘Innate drives’ accepted by early learning theorists: hunger, thirst, sex, relief from pain.
All examples of ‘extrinsic motivation’ (i.e., mainly controlled by the changes in the environment).
Compare ‘intrinsic motivation’ (i.e., mainly controlled by in the organism).
Exploring, curiosity cont…
Other 'drives' now accepted: Contact comfort. Harlow and the wire vs. cloth 'mother.’ Activity. E.g., Rats can be reinforced by being given access to running in a 'wheel' inside a cage. Curiosity/novelty seeking. Butler's (1953) monkeys. Rats and exploring.
Why do mammals explore?
Reactive inhibition: Experience with ‘response X’ builds up inhibition to r-X.
Evidence against: Glanzer–In T-maze, if r-X = ‘right turn,’ rat will turn right again if color of right ‘arm’ is changed (e.g., black to white).
Glanzer’s model T-maze one side is white other is black then switched colors
Glanzer’s model was ‘stimulus satiation’: Experience with ‘stimulus X’ builds up inhibition to s-X.
Evidence against: Dember.
T-maze: Glass blocks arms (rat cannot turn; no ‘reactive inhibition’).
Two arms white and black (equal ‘stimulus satiation’).
Remove glass, change white alley to black; if rat goes to black arm, chooses only on basis of novelty.
Rat does go to black alley.
Dember model
Motive is ‘stimulus change.’
Many experimenters had trouble replicating Dember’s results.
Finally discovered: ‘Stimulus change’ model only accurate if rats are in secure situation.
E.g., ‘tame’ because accustomed to the experimenter.
Mammals Exploration
This same pattern has been found throughout large numbers of experiments with humans:
Humans usually
prefer new and/or more complex situations,
unless they are nervous or anxious.
If we understand why this pattern occurs, we understand a lot about curiosity, exploration, sensation seeking, and creativity.
Bio. componenet
Biological component:
Extravert/BAS personality type more likely to show exploration/curiosity (ex/cu) pattern.
Neurotic/BIS personality type less likely to show ex/cu.
The pattern is found in ‘timid’ children.
Neuroticism/BIS linked to high anxiety and arousal.
Even timid children will show ex/cu if they are made to feel safe.
Bio. component 2
This ‘sense of safety’/’feeling tame’ is obviously crucial.
Important in many areas where ‘new’ things are explored, e.g., important in
classroom learning, and
couples learning new relationship skills.
This is why anger has to stop before new understanding can start.
Learned component
Learned component: Age, experience and complexity.
If a new pattern is too complex it will seem ‘strange’ (i.e., produce anxiety) rather than interesting.
Learned component 2
‘Complexity’ is relative.
E.g., a complex math problem for a 2nd grader is not complex for a 5th grader.
Older, more experienced people have seen more patterns.
If ‘ex/cu-if-not-anxious’ pattern is accurate, older people should like more complex patterns.
Older people do like more complex patterns (visual or auditory).
Learned component 3
This pattern is also found in many areas.
Simple patterns become ‘boring’ once learned
preference turns to more complex patterns.
Cognitive component
Cognitive component.
Modeling ex/cu-complexity connection.
Dember and Earl ‘pacer range’ theory:
Previously learned patterns ‘set the pace’ (i.e., ‘adaptation level’).
New patterns preferred if within a ‘range,’
more complex than the ‘pace,’
but not too much more complex.
Previously ‘new’ complexity becomes the next ‘pace.’
Berlyne’s ‘collative variables’ theory.
New stimuli ‘collates’ with (cf. ‘is compared with’) previous ‘standard’ stored in memory.
‘Standard’like Dember & Earl’s ‘pace.’
But Berlyne suggested a large, specific set of variables.
Not only complexity, but also
novelty, amount of change, suddenness of change, etc
If a collated variable varies from the standard, it adds arousal.
Organisms are motivated to achieve ‘optimal arousal.’
Berlyne’s theory is the main ‘optimal arousal’ theory.
‘Optimal arousal’ theoretically connects with ‘optimal processing’ of new information.
Too high arousal indicates too much new information to process.
Neurotic/BIS people have ‘sensitivity’ preset ‘high’ on basis other than information.
Processed information is added to memory, and becomes part of the new ‘standard.’
As discussed in the Chapter 5 lecture, various theories go beyond Berlyne.
E.g., one early ‘reversal theory’ article was called ‘beyond optimal arousal.’
‘Paratelic state’ supposed to drive towards highest possible arousal.
However, it is unclear whether ‘paratelic state’ can occur with novel, complex stimuli.
E.g., ‘Flow’ may only occur with ‘standard,’ ‘pacer range’ stimuli.
The ‘jury is still out’ on whether reversal theory is actually ‘beyond’ optimal arousal theory.
Extrinsic Rewards
Extrinsic rewards as impairing motivation.
Early learning theory: Extrinsic rewards (ER) are the only basis of motivation.
But many experiments have now shown that ER often hurts motivation.
Avoiding ER impairment (cont.).
Unexpected ER is also helpful.
Only expected ER impairs.
Verbal praise does not have ER impairment effects.
Note on individual differences.
Some people are low in IM (e.g., in ‘achievement motivation.
If people are low in IM, then ER may help (not impair) performance.
Sensation seeking
Sensation seeking
Exploration usually lessens with high arousal.
Sensation seekers try to find situations that they can explore while aroused
Characteristics of sensation seekers (SSs).
Thrill/adventure seeking.
E.g., prefer adventures that make them at least a little scared.
E.g., roller coasters.
Experience seeking.
Like to do things just because they are new and different.
Disinhibited.
Like high-excitement, ‘party’ type situations.
Easily bored by the ‘everyday.’
