Surprise, surprise: The ambivalent nature of surprise as a catalyst for curiosity and learning

Abstract

This experience sampling study examines daily episodes of specific and diversive curiosity and relates them with emotions and learning episodes. Data were collected from online artisans – individuals that create and sell handmade goods online – daily for 14 consecutive days. Contrary to conventional wisdom, the results reveal that surprise is a fairly frequent experience that produces a variety of adaptive responses. Specifically, surprise varied in emotional valence, generating two distinct forms of curiosity: specific and diversive. Within individual analyses revealed that episodes of specific curiosity were associated with negative active emotions and local modes of learning, whereas episodes of diversive curiosity were associated with positive active emotions and global modes of learning.