Exploring Curiosity Using an Educational Game in Children’s Science Museum: Does Uncertainty Matter?
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2019-07-01
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en
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Research has shown that both video games and science museums have the potential to enhance children's curiosity towards knowledge. In this study, I conducted a field experiment at a children’s science museum in Sofia, Bulgaria. I created levels of uncertainty in a city-building simulation game, based on Loewenstein’s (1994) information-gap theory, viewing curiosity as emerging from awareness of a gap in one’s knowledge, provoked by uncertainty. In a between-subjects experiment with children (age 8-12), I hypothesize that exposure to higher uncertainty will lead to more requests for educational information (i.e. will make children more curious towards knowledge). Further, I hypothesize that trait curious children will also pose more requests for information in the particular experimental setup. Results did not show significant differences in information requests due to the uncertainty manipulation, nor due to trait characteristics. However, further exploration of the data revealed significant gender and age differences, with girls and older children requesting more information. Additionally, a significant correlation was found between children’s ratings on how interesting the provided information was, and the frequency of their information requests. Based on these outcomes, I provide recommendations for better uncertainty gap modifications in educational games.
Keywords: curiosity, children, information-gap, uncertainty, state curiosity, trait curiosity, video games, science museums
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Faculteit der Sociale Wetenschappen