Measures of curiosity: A literature review

• Published in: Human resource development quarterly Vol. 32; no. 3; pp. 363 - 389
• Main Authors: Wagstaff, M. Fernanda, Flores, Gabriela L., Ahmed, Rawia, Villanueva, Sarah
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken, USA Wiley Periodicals, Inc 01.09.2021; Wiley Periodicals Inc
• Subjects: Adult learning; curiosity as state; curiosity as trait; literature review; Literature reviews; measures of curiosity
• ISSN: 1044-8004; 1532-1096
• DOI: 10.1002/hrdq.21417

We present an assessment of curiosity measures used in organizational and social psychology literature published since the start of this century. We focus on: (a) the validity and reliability of existing measures; (b) the main dimensions tapping the operationalization of the constructs; and (c) the use of each measure in organizational settings. We identify implications of the use of each of these measures for theory and practice in the field of human resource development. Our study concludes with an assessment of the contexts in which the available measures of curiosity may be used and potential challenges in the application of these measures to further the field of human resource development. We find that curiosity measures may be most useful in organizational contexts where learning occurs, including training, socialization, collaboration, research and development, selection, global management, innovation, creativity, and career change.