Pandora Effect From The Power And Peril Of Curiosity

Purpose/Problem

Curiosity is a natural trait from birth. It has been identified as a driving force in child development. At what age does curiosity stop causing us to act upon our ideas? I want to know if the frequency of testing curiosity decreases as you age. If so, then what drives us to try new tasks or question others ideas as we age.

Hypothesis

I believe that curiosity is tested at all ages. However, I think that as we age, it becomes more difficult to test curiosity. This is because at a young age, we are encouraged to question ideas and what makes things work. As we get older, we have less time to test our questions.

Background Research

“From the moment we take our first breath to the second we

Well it’s simple. Here’s a definition of The Pandora Effect from The Power and Peril of Curiosity by Christopher K. Hsee, Bowen Ruan. “Curiosity underlies many human activities, from reading celebrity gossip to developing nuclear science. Curiosity is well recognized as a human blessing. It is also a curse. Curiosity could lead humans to expose themselves to electric shocks for no apparent benefits. Humans possess an inherent desire, independent of consequentialist considerations, to resolve uncertainty; when facing something uncertain and feeling curious, they will act to resolve the uncertainty even if they expect negative consequences. The Pandora Effect reveals the potential perverse side of curiosity, and is particularly relevant to the epoch of information, and to the scientific community, a community with high curiosity.”5 This data is from a series of four experiments, behavioral scientists at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and the Wisconsin School of Business. They gave test subjects a shock pen and notified them that it did shock. Every single test subject clicked a pen at least once. It doesn’t matter if curiosity is good or bad. Humans will find a way to test it and will do so at all

They all explore questions they think of. By doing so they learn. From the moment of birth (probably even before), humans are drawn to new experiences. When humans are curious about a new topic, we explore it. And while doing so we discover. By hitting the lights to turn them off and on, over and over again, the child is learning about cause and effect. By filling different containers with water and pouring it on the floor, the child is learning pre-concepts of mass and volume. As child discovers the sweetness of chocolate mixed with the bitterness of lemon and the heat of the radiator they learn and can better prepare for their future topics of life7. Whats pleasurable about making a discovery is sharing it with someone else. We are some of the most social creatures. Positive reinforcement is the best possible reward and the greatest pleasure comes from the gaze of acceptance.Giving someone comments and your support shows love and respect. Rewarding approval from someone causes a wave of pleasure and pride to rush through the child. That can help a child through new challenges and frustrations that they would otherwise be incapable of completing. Approval can generalize and help build up the confidence and self-esteem needed in everyday life. So when a child tests a project or idea and comes to you with an answer to a question you never thought to ask enjoy