Abstract
Loewenstein reviews curiosity and reinterprets it as a specific information gap — a deprivation with an object — rather than a general appetite for novelty.
Loewenstein, G. (1994). The psychology of curiosity: A review and reinterpretation. Psychological Bulletin, 116(1), 75–98. DOI
Key findings
- Gap, not novelty — Curiosity intensifies when a missing piece is specific and the reference point is close.
- Insight closes deprivation — The reward of understanding is the closing of that hole, which is why an ocean of unnamed topics does not pull the same way.
Limits
Review and reinterpretation. It integrates earlier studies. It does not test personal archives, dashboards, or automated observers.
Application
When you avoid a body of notes, ask whether one missing piece is named. Start from Information gap.