Curiosity and Exploration Inventory-II (CEI‐II)

Abstract

The Curiosity and Exploration Inventory-II (CEI-II) is a refined and shortened 10-item self-report measure developed to assess trait curiosity, conceptualized as a motivational drive for exploration and personal growth. It is an improved version of the original Curiosity and Exploration Inventory (CEI). The CEI-II focuses specifically on the approach-related facets of curiosity, capturing how individuals actively seek out and engage with new, uncertain, or challenging situations. This instrument is widely used in positive psychology research to link curiosity traits to well-being, life satisfaction, and psychological adjustment.

Keywords

Curiosity, Exploration, CEI-II, Positive Psychology, Trait Curiosity, Stretching, Embracing, Personality Assessment, Psychometrics, Self-report inventory

Authors

Todd B. Kashdan, Michael W. Gallagher, Paul J. Silvia, William E. Breen, David Terhar, Michael F. Steger

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Curiosity and Exploration Inventory-II (CEI-II) was to develop a psychometrically superior and more concise measure of curiosity compared to the original CEI. The authors aimed to clearly delineate the distinct, adaptive ways individuals approach novel information and uncertain environments. The CEI-II was designed to focus exclusively on the constructive, motivational aspects of curiosity, moving beyond the original CEI’s inclusion of an “Absorption” factor, which was less clearly related to active exploration.

The scale serves to quantify individual differences in the tendency to seek out and engage with challenging or unfamiliar stimuli, thereby facilitating positive subjective experiences and opportunities for personal growth. It is a key tool for researchers studying the role of approach motivation in well-being and resilience.

Construct

The CEI-II measures curiosity as a positive trait characterized by an approach motivation toward novelty and challenge. It is modeled as a two-factor structure, reflecting two distinct but correlated components:

• Stretching (Tolerance for Uncertainty): This subscale measures the motivation to stretch one’s capabilities, view complex situations as opportunities for growth, and tolerate the anxiety or uncertainty inherent in novel or challenging experiences. Items associated with Stretching focus on seeking complexity and challenge. (Items 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9).
• Embracing (Exploration): This subscale measures the tendency to actively seek out and engage with new, unfamiliar people, places, or experiences, including those that might be slightly frightening or unpredictable. Items associated with Embracing emphasize seeking novelty and unpredictability. (Items 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10).

Validity

Initial validation studies demonstrated strong evidence for the construct validity of the CEI-II. The two factors—Stretching and Embracing—showed expected patterns of correlation with established personality measures and well-being indicators. Specifically, the CEI-II total score and its subscales showed significant positive correlations with traits such as Openness to Experience, Positive Affect, Growth Mindset, and Intellectual Engagement, confirming its alignment with the theoretical construct of adaptive exploration.

Furthermore, the CEI-II demonstrated incremental validity over the original CEI in predicting outcomes such as life satisfaction and positive coping strategies. The scale effectively captures the proactive engagement required for personal growth, establishing its utility as a measure of a core motivational resource in human functioning. The original PDF containing the instrument and validation details can be downloaded here: http://www.midss.org/sites/default/files/cei-ii.pdf.

Reliability

The CEI-II exhibits robust internal consistency, indicating high reliability. In the original 2009 development study, the internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha) for the overall 10-item scale and its two subscales were strong. The factor structure proved stable across diverse samples, suggesting that the items consistently measure their intended constructs. The scale’s reliability supports its use in both research and applied settings for measuring individual differences in trait curiosity.

Factor Analysis

The development of the CEI-II involved comprehensive Factor Analysis (specifically, Confirmatory Factor Analysis) to confirm its underlying structure. The analysis supported a two-factor model, distinct from the three-factor model of the original CEI (which included “Absorption”). This two-factor solution—Stretching and Embracing—provided a better fit to the data and offered a clearer, non-redundant measure of approach-oriented curiosity.

This structural refinement ensures that the scale measures two specific, theoretically relevant dimensions of exploration: the drive to overcome complexity (Stretching) and the active seeking of novelty and unpredictability (Embracing). The authors concluded that this revised factor structure enhances the scale’s theoretical precision and psychometrics.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report inventory

Format: 10 items, scored on a 5-point Likert scale.

Language Available: Primarily English; translated versions may exist in academic literature.

Population Group: General population; used extensively with university students and adults.

Age Group: Adolescents and Adults (typically 18+)

Population Details: Used across various demographic samples in psychological research.

Test Methodology: Respondents indicate the extent to which each statement describes them, using the following scale: 1=Very Slightly or Not At All, 2= A Little, 3= Moderately, 4= Quite a Bit, 5= Extremely.

Keywords

CEI-II, Trait Assessment, Psychological Measurement, Novelty Seeking, Uncertainty Tolerance, Growth, Todd Kashdan, Approach Motivation, Personality, Factor Analysis

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided in source material.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not provided in source material.

Correspondence Address: Correspondence is typically directed to the primary author, Todd Kashdan (George Mason University).

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The scale is generally considered available for academic and non-commercial research use, consistent with many scales published in peer-reviewed journals. There is typically no fee required for academic use, though proper citation is mandatory. The original CEI was published in 2004, and the revised and validated Curiosity and Exploration Inventory-II (CEI-II) was published in 2009.

Reference’s

• Kashdan, T. B., Rose, P., & Fincham, F. D. (2004). Curiosity and exploration: Facilitating positive subjective experiences and personal growth opportunities. Journal of Personality Assessment, 82, 291-305.
• Kashdan, T. B., Gallagher, M. W., Silvia, P., Breen, W. E., Terhar, D., & Steger, M. F. (2009). The Curiosity and Exploration Inventory-II: Development, factor structure, and initial psychometrics. Journal of Research in Personality, 43(6), 987-998.
• Kashdan, T.B., McKnight, P.E., Fincham, F.D., & Rose, P. (2011). When curiosity breeds intimacy: Taking advantage of intimacy opportunities and transforming boring conversations. Journal of Personality, 79, 1369-1401.
• Kashdan, T.B., Dewall, C.N., Pond, R.S., Silvia, P.J., Lambert, N.M., Fincham, F.D., Savostyanova, A.A., & Keller, P.S. (in press). Curiosity protects against interpersonal aggression: Cross-sectional, daily process, and behavioral evidence. Journal of Personality.

Items of the Curiosity and Exploration Inventory-II (CEI‐II)

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

1. I actively seek as much information as I can in new situations.
2. I am the type of person who really enjoys the uncertainty of everyday life.
3. I am at my best when doing something that is complex or challenging.
4. Everywhere I go‚ I am out looking for new things or experiences.
5. I view challenging situations as an opportunity to grow and learn.
6. I like to do things that are a little frightening.
7. I am always looking for experiences that challenge how I think about myself and the world.
8. I prefer jobs that are excitingly unpredictable.
9. I frequently seek out opportunities to challenge myself and grow as a person.
10. I am the kind of person who embraces unfamiliar people‚ events‚ and places.