Learning facts during aging: the benefits of curiosity.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Cross-sectional experimental laboratory study comparing age groups without randomization (graded by design analogy)
PubMed 29787342 · doi:10.1080/0361073X.2018.1477355
What was done
Across two experiments, researchers tested young adults (aged 18–26) and older adults (aged 65–89). Participants read trivia questions, rated their curiosity to learn each answer, and viewed task-irrelevant faces presented between the question and the answer. Memory retention was assessed via surprise memory tests measuring recall accuracy for trivia answers and recognition memory for the incidentally viewed faces.
What was found
In both age groups, recall performance was higher for answers to questions that elicited high curiosity compared to low curiosity. In Experiment 1, recognition memory was also superior for task-irrelevant faces presented in temporal proximity to curiosity-eliciting questions. The abstract reports no numerical values, standard deviations, effect sizes, or test statistics.
Why it matters
The findings demonstrate that the memory-enhancing benefits of curiosity persist into older age and can extend to incidentally presented information, suggesting potential utility for curiosity-driven educational or cognitive strategies in aging populations.
Limits
The abstract does not disclose the sample size, participant recruitment details, or any quantitative metrics and effect sizes. The study relied on artificial laboratory memory tasks (trivia and isolated face recognition), which may not fully capture everyday learning contexts. Long-term retention was not evaluated.
Cited by
- supports Curiosity and actively seeking to learn new things benefits brain health and overall health.