Uncertainty is woven into the fabric of human experience. All types of experiences involve some degree of uncertainty. Given the pervasiveness of uncertainty in daily life, individual differences how people think, behave, and feel about uncertainty matters. Some respond to uncertainty with fear and anxiety while others respond to uncertainty with curiosity and interest. The current project focused on two responses to uncertainty: intolerance of uncertainty and curiosity. The three main aims were to examine the relationship between these constructs directly, to investigate their unique contributions to outcomes of wellbeing and general psychological distress, and to examine cognitive appraisals associated with proximate outcomes of worry and interest. A large online adult sample (N = 413) completed self-report measures of IU, curiosity, personality, well-being, and general psychological distress symptoms. Participants also completed a novel vignette-based task of hypothetical future scenarios that varied in degree of uncertainty and pleasantness. IU was inversely associated with only some of the hypothesized curiosity dimensions. After accounting for personality traits, trait IU explained an additional 15% of the variance in general psychological distress, and trait curiosity explained an additional 16% of the variance in wellbeing. Each reflects a small but noteworthy additional contribution to these outcomes. For uncertain situations only, coping potential demonstrated a modest moderation effect of the appraisal of uncertainty on worry and interest, in support of project hypotheses. Limitations and implications for future research are discussed.

Curiosity, as a strong motivator for exploration and discovery, has long been an underexplored but important emotional response in relation to technology. This research considers that it has great potential to improve many aspects of the user experience, especially in today’s screen-saturated context. However, engaging curiosity by novelty and uncertainty may exhaust attentional strength and challenge usability. Thus, the purpose of this research is to find ways to foster the human trait of curiosity and avoid its negative effects. To gain an in-depth understanding of curiosity, the first chapter reviews cross-disciplinary literature to expand its role in improving user experience. This ranges from serving as an attention grabber to including the values that contribute to human survival, thriving, emotional resilience, and personal development. The second chapter identifies problems in the current curiosity-provoking design methods. The chapter also emphasises design for supporting active curiosity and avoiding the creation of purely novel stimuli. This approach is to encourage active curiosity to develop. To this end, the research proceeds to conduct observational studies at a museum to broaden our understanding of factors that influence people’s curiosity and exploration within a screen-mediated context. Based on these observations, I identified that there are three conceptual elements: sociability, embodiment, and playfulness. Through theoretical discussion and reflection upon the design examples, subsequent three chapters explore the relationship between curiosity and each conceptual element. The chapters also suggest several design approaches that embrace curiosity in relation to its social, embodied, and playful nature. These include creating a sense of co-curiosity, allowing the use of covert and overt curiosity-satisfying strategies, increasing bodily exploration affordances of the screen for linking curiosity with embodiment, using metaphors of the body-screen relationship, and developing possibilities and adding enchanting effects for eliciting playfulness to enrich curiosity. In essence, this research enhances our understanding of the user experience from the perspective of curiosity, and these design suggestions also help to embrace users’ active curiosity in developing sociable, embodied, and playful well-being in the age of ubiquitous screens.

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Denna studie undersökte huruvida nyfikenhet som generell egenskap eller personlighetsdrag uttrycker sig i nyfiket beteende i specifika områden. Med nyfiket beteende i specifika områden menas i denna studie att man uppoffrar tid eller pengar för mer information om svaret eller utfallet i en specifik uppgift, utan att svaret eller utfallet har något annat direkt värde än som information. Ett exempel är att uppoffra pengar mot att få information om vilka svarsalternativ som är felaktiga i ett logikproblem som man försöker lösa. De data som användes i denna studie härrör från tre tidigare studier som har utfört experiment med inslag av de avvägningar som nämnts. Samtliga 90 deltagare var rekryterade i anknytning till Umeå Universitet. Deltagarna har efter experimenten besvarat instrumentet Big Five Inventory (BFI-44) som mäter generella personlighetsdrag, samt instrumentet Curiosity and Exploration Inventory II (CEI-II) som mäter nyfikenhet som egenskap. Resultatet replikerade tidigare samband mellan personlighetsdrag och nyfikenhet som egenskap. Däremot predicerade varken nyfikenhet som generell egenskap eller personlighetsdrag nyfiket beteende i specifika områden. En tolkning gällande det icke-existerande sambandet är att människor har specifika intressen, huruvida de blir och upprätthåller nyfikenhet har inte med grundläggande drag att göra utan med andra orsaker. Möjligen bör konstruktvaliditeten för nyfikenhet som generell egenskap ifrågasättas. / This study examined whether curiosity as a general trait or personality trait expresses itself in curious behavior in specific areas. With curious behavior in specific areas, this study means that you sacrifice time or money for more information about the answer or outcome of a specific task, without the answer or outcome having any other direct value than as information. One example is to sacrifice money to get information about which answer alternatives are incorrect in a logic problem that one tries to solve. The data used in this study derives from three previous studies that performed experiments with elements of the trade-offs mentioned. The 90 participants were recruited in connection with Umeå University. After the experiments the participants answered the instrument Big Five Inventory (BFI-44) that measures general personality traits, and the instrument Curiosity and Exploration Inventory II (CEI-II) that measures trait curiosity. The result replicated previous relationships between personality traits and trait curiosity. However, neither curiosity as a general trait or personality traits predicted curious behavior in specific areas. An interpretation of this non-existing relationship is that people have specific interests, whether they become and maintain curiosity does not have to do with fundamental traits but with other reasons. Possibly the construct validity of curiosity as a general trait should be questioned.

By autobiography retrospection and self reflection, this research aims to describe what influence an individual and his learning process pose on a teacher¡¦s way of creative teaching. Personal creative teaching ideas and implementation patterns are presented through the case-sharing of creative teaching. I attempted to find out the teaching concept and the method of cultivating students¡¦ creativity, further to promote teaching efficiency, and to share with parents and education-related personnel with the results as the reference for future planning and executing creative teaching activities. Main findings in this research are: 1. Growing in a respectful, liberal, open family lays the solid foundation of future creative teaching. 2. During schooling and working, theories discussion and teaching experiences sharing with professors and colleagues benefit the practice of creative teaching. 3. That a school respects teachers¡¦ professional teaching provides the room of freedom of creative teaching, which benefits teachers conducting creative teaching activities. 4. Maintaining characteristics such as curiosity, independence, and innocence gives the researcher the impetus to urge creative teaching. 5.Creative teaching should be that on the basis of students learning demands and their living experiences, teachers carefully design the teaching content both informatively and entertainingly; in addition, provide students the effective learning pattern to absorb knowledge and skills by actual operation. In the end, according to the findings of this research, suggestions are made and shared with parents and teachers for future reference of planning and executing creative teaching activities.

This study analyzes William Faulkner's Snopes Trilogy (The Hamlet, The Town, The Mansion) from the aspect of point of view. It shows how point of view is linked to theme in that the complexity of point of view parallels and emphasizes the complexity of truth as it exists in the novels. Each novel is examined separately, for each poses different problems involved in searching out truth and each is unique in point of view. The Hamlet is determined to have a predominantly omniscient narrator, The Town to be told by three first-person narrators, and The Mansion to combine omniscient with first-person narrative. The increasing complexity in point of view and in the search for truth leads to the conclusion that Faulkner was demonstrating that truth is not an absolute.

The Old Curiosity Shop, Charles Dickens' fourth novel, has been given little serious critical attention by modern scholars. The purpose of this study was to analyze the novel, ignoring the accepted prejudices against it and establishing it as a complex artistic creation.The organization of the study rests on the thesis that after Master Humphrey, the narrator of the first three chapters, dismisses himself from the story, the novel divides into four sections each focused on one of the four major characters-- Nell, Kit, Quilp, and Dick. The sections are not divided in the novel, but are complexly interwoven with the sections presenting different views of the major themes of the novel.Master Humrhrey's three-chapter introduction to the novel sets the plots of the four sections in motion and establishes the major concerns of the novel—alienation, creativity, and materialism. More important, Master Humphrey is the only artist whose consciousness is penetrated while he is in the act of creating.Nell’s section contains the most lengthy treatment of the major themes, but does not present the novel’s and as with Nell, his self-imposed, alienation ends in death. The similarity between Mrs. Quilp and Nell, and Nell, Mrs. Quilp's enjoyment of her suffering combine to raise the doubt that Nell's problems are imposed externally. Quilp's creativity is reflected in his ability to appear differently to different people around him. He recreates himself constantly.Dick Swiveller's progression from a morally careless rogue to a caring hero is the triumph of the novel, and his section contains the novel's solutions to the thematic problems. Unlike Nell, Kit, and Quilp, who retreat from society, Dick searches for companionship. He and the Marchioness solve the problem of alienation by finding each other. He also presents a compromise between the greed of Quilp and the grandfather and Nell's renunciation of material goods with his theory that money simply makes things more pleasant. Dick is the greatest creative artist in the novel for be uses his imagination to create a refuge for himself and his friends within an alien world. He creates through imaginative power the haven which Nell cannot find in her flight.

This thesis evaluates the role of inquisitiveness considered as a soft management skill as a characteristic of leaders in managerial positions in the manufacturing sector in Australia. There is considerable academic focus on the leadership attributes of people. In recent years leadership has become a much-debated theme of management behaviour. Previous published research has stated that inquisitiveness is a core characteristic of global leaders, but little has been written that addresses leadership in the context of manufacturing. / The aim of this research is to test the validity of inquisitiveness as a characteristic of leaders within Australia's manufacturing sector by collecting and analysing data both theoretically and empirically. The manufacturing sector is under considerable pressure to survive and prosper in a competitive international market. This research may lead to improved techniques for the training, selection and promotion of managers in manufacturing organisations in Australia. / The outcome of the empirical research shows that inquisitiveness is a characteristic of leaders in manufacturing management in Australia. It also found that the current practices used by Human Resources Managers in manufacturing organisations, whether hiring or promoting people, do not consider inquisitiveness as a characteristic of potential leaders. This research develops a contrary view and concludes that a measurable and appropriate test for inquisitiveness in current and potential leaders should be developed by the manufacturing industry. / The recognition that inquisitiveness is a desirable characteristic of managers in Australian manufacturing industry may lead to developing leaders who can participate in creating a sustainable Australian manufacturing sector that thrives in, and does not merely survive the global competition from emerging markets. / Thesis (PhD)--University of South Australia, 2007.

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 873-896). / xxxvi, 896 leaves : ill. (some col.) ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Reports on 2 experiments which investigated exploratory & other behaviour in the laboratory rat during fixed-interval, variable-interval, variable-ration and differential reinforcement of low rates schedules of reinforcement (& subsequent extinction.) A third experiment investigated exploratory & other behaviours in an open-field Skinner box during a fixed-interval schedule, with a concurrently available water source. The final experiments were conducted on a qualitative analysis basis at Adelaide Zoo. A number of novel objects were presented to a group of six chimpanzees, and a different set of objects presented to a pair of caracals, in an attempt to facilitate exploratory behaviour and reduce abberant behaviours. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Adelaide University, Dept. of Psychology, 2001

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Florida State University, 2005. / Advisor: Dr. Elizabeth Jakubowski, Florida State University, College of Education, Dept. of Middle and Secondary Education. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed June 15, 2005). Document formatted into pages; contains xi, 144 pages. Includes bibliographical references.