Curiosity and Exploration Inventory (CEI)

Abstract

The Curiosity and Exploration Inventory (CEI) is a psychological measure developed to expand research on the construct of curiosity. The authors conceptualized curiosity as a critical positive emotional-motivational system driving the recognition, pursuit, and self-regulation of novelty and challenge. The CEI is designed to assess this disposition, defined as the desire to inquire, investigate, or seek after knowledge and gratify the mind with new information or objects of interest.

The scale consists of two primary dimensions: Exploration, representing appetitive strivings for novelty and challenge, and Absorption, reflecting full engagement and deep immersion in specific activities. The measure possesses strong psychometrics, including high internal consistency and temporal stability, and is supported by a consistent nomological network.

Keywords

Curiosity, Exploration, Absorption, Psychological assessment, Positive psychology, Motivational systems, Nomological network, Personal growth, Novelty, Inquisitiveness.

Authors

Kashdan, T.B., Rose, P., Fincham, F.D.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the CEI is to provide a robust, psychometrically sound measure of dispositional curiosity within an expanded theoretical framework. It moves beyond simple definitions of inquisitiveness to capture the motivational and emotional processes associated with seeking out and engaging with new information and challenging situations.

The scale defines curiosity as a “disposition to inquire, investigate, or seek after knowledge; a desire to gratify the mind with new information or objects of interest; inquisitiveness.” It is posited that curiosity measured by the CEI is an important motivational component linking cues of novelty and challenge with opportunities for growth.

Construct

The CEI measures the psychological construct of Curiosity and Exploration, conceptualized as a positive emotional-motivational system. This system drives individuals to recognize, pursue, and effectively self-regulate their responses to new or challenging stimuli, ultimately facilitating positive subjective experiences and growth opportunities.

The scale is bifactorial, comprising two distinct yet related dimensions:

• Exploration: This subscale captures the behavioral and cognitive component, specifically the appetitive strivings and proactive seeking of novelty and challenge in the environment.
• Absorption: This subscale measures the experiential component, reflecting the capacity for deep, full engagement, and intense focus once an individual is involved in a specific activity or pursuit of interest.

Validity

The CEI demonstrates strong evidence of construct validity, primarily through its established nomological network. This network confirms that the scale’s relationships with other theoretical constructs align precisely with the authors’ proposed model of curiosity as a motivational system.

Furthermore, the measure exhibits discriminant validity by showing relative independence from measures of general positive affect, ensuring that the CEI is measuring the specific motivational disposition of curiosity rather than generalized happiness or positive mood. The CEI is also reported to be relatively unaffected by the tendency towards socially desirable responding, strengthening the validity of self-report data.

Reliability

The CEI exhibits robust reliability across multiple indicators. Both the subscales and the total score demonstrate high levels of internal consistency (e.g., Cronbach’s alpha), suggesting that the items within each dimension are highly correlated and measure the same underlying construct.

In addition to internal consistency, the measure has shown strong temporal stability (test-retest reliability) over time. A key strength reported is the consistency between self-appraisals of curiosity using the CEI and reports provided by external observers, indicating acceptable inter-rater reliability for the construct.

Factor Analysis

The underlying structure of the Curiosity and Exploration Inventory (CEI) is confirmed by factor analytic procedures, identifying two primary, correlated dimensions. These factors reflect the theoretical distinction established by the authors between the active seeking component and the immersive engagement component of curiosity.

The two factors identified are Exploration (Items 1, 3, 4, and 7) and Absorption (Items 2, 5, and 6), supporting the model that curiosity is a multifaceted disposition involving both the initiation of inquiry and the sustained, deep focus on the subject of interest.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report psychological inventory/Dispositional measure

Format: 7-item scale using a 7-point Likert response format.

Language Available: English (Original)

Population Group: General population (Adults)

Age Group: Typically utilized with adult populations (e.g., college students and community samples).

Population Details: Developed and validated primarily on non-clinical samples.

Test Methodology: Respondents rate their typical behavior or disposition on a 7-point scale ranging from 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 7 (Strongly Agree). Scoring involves summing item responses; Item 4 must be reverse-scored.

Keywords

Self-regulation, Emotional-motivational system, Affect, Psychological measurement, Exploration subscale, Absorption subscale, Psychometrics, Likert scale, Dispositional curiosity.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Information not provided in source material.

Affiliation Email addresses: Contact information typically available through primary author’s (T.B. Kashdan) institutional website.

Correspondence Address: Information not provided in source material.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The scale was initially published in 2004. As a widely used academic instrument, permissions for non-commercial research use are generally granted, though users should contact the primary author, Dr. Todd B. Kashdan, for formal approval and the latest version of the scale. Fee information is typically dependent upon the nature of use (academic vs. commercial).

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., Barrios, V., Forsyth, J. P., & Steger, M. F. (in press). Experiential avoidance as a generalized psychological vulnerability: Comparisons with coping and emotion regulation strategies. Behaviour Research and Therapy.

Items of the Curiosity and Exploration Inventory (CEI)

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

Using the scale shown below, please respond to each of the following statements according to how you would usually describe yourself. There are no right or wrong answers.

1                   2                   3               4                 5                6                 7

Strongly Disagree                  Neither Agreenor Disagree             Strongly Agree

1. I would describe myself as someone who actively seeks as much information as I can in a new situation.
2. When I am participating in an activity, I tend to get so involved that I lose track of time.
3. I frequently find myself looking for new opportunities to grow as a person (e.g., information, people, resources).
4. I am not the type of person who probes deeply into new situations or things.
5. When I am actively interested in something, it takes a great deal to interrupt me.
6. My friends would describe me as someone who is “extremely intense” when in the middle of doing something.
7. Everywhere I go, I am out looking for new things or experiences.

Notes. Item 4 is reverse-scored before summing; to reduce potential subject error, we suggest that “not” be italicized. Items 1, 3, 4, and 7 refer to the Exploration subscale and items 2, 5, and 6 refer to the Absorption subscale.