Validity of the Interest- and Deprivation-Type Epistemic Curiosity Model in Germany

Three studies were conducted to evaluate the validity of the interest (I) and deprivation (D) type epistemic curiosity (EC) distinction in three German samples. In Study 1 (N = 395) and Study 2 (N = 191), responses to German translations of the Epistemic Curiosity Scale and the Curiosity as a Feeling-of-Deprivation Scale were submitted to confirmatory factor analysis. The previously found 10-item 2-factor model (Litman, 2008; Litman, Crowson, & Kolinski, 2010) had the best fit compared to competing models. In Study 1, Study 2, and Study 3 (N = 249), the I- and D-type EC scales correlated positively with intellectual stimulation measures, providing evidence of convergent validity. I-type EC correlated with enjoying new discoveries and ideas, whereas D-type EC was associated with persistence and solving problems, providing evidence of discrimination.