The measurement of perceptual curiosity

Perceptual curiosity, as defined by Berlyne (1954), involves interest in and giving attention to novel perceptual stimulation, and motivates visual and sensory-inspection. A 33-item questionnaire constructed to assess individual differences in perceptual curiosity was administered to 320 undergraduate students (202 females; 118 males). The participants also responded to the trait scales of the State-Trait Personality Inventory (STPI), and to selected subscales of the Sensation Seeking (SSS) and Novelty Experiencing (NES) scales. Principal axis factor analyses of the perceptual curiosity (PC) items identified a strong PC factor. With oblique rotation, diversive and specific PC components were found, from which subscales were constructed. Moderate positive correlations of the PC scale and subscales were found with the NES and STPI measures of curiosity and the SSS and NES sensation seeking scales, suggesting that perceptual curiosity involves seeking both knowledge and sensory experience. Divergent validity of the PC scale was demonstrated by minimal relationships with the STPI trait anger scale, and essentially zero correlations with the STPI trait anxiety and depression scales.