The article by Ivancovsky, Baror, and Bar is a timely article that aims to link curiosity and creativity under an information-seeking behavior framework. We agree with the sentiment and arguments raised by the authors, recently publishing a similar theoretical argument (Kenett, Humphries, & Chatterjee, Reference Kenett, Humphries and Chatterjee2023) as well as revised theories – on associative thinking and the role of memory in creativity – directly related to issues raised in the target article, but not discussed in it (e.g., Beaty & Kenett, Reference Beaty and Kenett2023; Benedek, Beaty, Schacter, & Kenett, Reference Benedek, Beaty, Schacter and Kenett2023).
We aim to highlight a critical issue not discussed in the target article, yet extremely important to its topic. The authors state: “The crux of our proposal is that curiosity and creativity converge on novelty seeking mechanisms…” and that “We propose that both are manifestations of a unified process that underlies novelty-seeking, as illustrated by a novelty-seeking model” (Ivancovsky et al.). While curiosity might be the driver, and creativity the output, of such information-seeking behavior, what mechanism realizes the seeking aspect of this behavior?
Information-seeking behavior likely promotes problem finding, the first stage in the creative problem-solving process (Reiter-Palmon & Robinson, Reference Reiter-Palmon and Robinson2009). Operationally, it involves the identification of a problem or the definition of an ambiguous situation into a workable problem or the raising of questions from ill-defined problem situations (Getzels, Reference Getzels1979). Past research indicates that problem finding is positively related to creative problem-solving (Mumford, Medeiros, & Partlow, Reference Mumford, Medeiros and Partlow2012) and to divergent thinking measures of creativity (Abdulla, Paek, Cramond, & Runco, Reference Abdulla, Paek, Cramond and Runco2020; Alabbasi, Acar, & Reiter-Palmon, Reference Alabbasi, Acar and Reiter-Palmon2023). Reiter-Palmon, Mumford, O'Connor Boes, & Runco (Reference Reiter-Palmon, Mumford, O'Connor Boes and Runco1997, Reference Reiter-Palmon, Mumford and Threlfall1998) have found that people who excel at problem-finding tend to restate problems as questions, highlighting the significance of questions in creativity.
We aim to expand and enrich the discussion of the target article on linking curiosity and creativity as information-seeking behavior, by highlighting the role of question-asking in such behavior. While we commonly and constantly ask questions, little research has been conducted on why humans ask questions and how question-asking facilitates information-seeking behavior. Questions are essential in human interactions, from children to adults (De Simone & Ruggeri, Reference De Simone and Ruggeri2021; Ruggeri, Lombrozo, Griffiths, & Xu, Reference Ruggeri, Lombrozo, Griffiths and Xu2016; Ruggeri, Xu, & Lombrozo, Reference Ruggeri, Xu and Lombrozo2019). They are widely used in a major part of our conversations, and have been shown to improve likability and engagement (VanEpps & Hart, Reference VanEpps and Hart2022). Questions also support our efforts to acquire knowledge and solve problems (Gottlieb, Reference Gottlieb2021; Rothe, Lake, & Gureckis, Reference Rothe, Lake and Gureckis2018).
Asking questions has also been suggested to serve as an indicator of curiosity, which has been found to be related to creativity. Curiosity plays an important role in the creative process, particularly when it comes to questions that reflect the sense of wonder that is intertwined with creativity (Acar, Berthiaume, & Johnson, Reference Acar, Berthiaume and Johnson2023). Thus, one may ask: What is the role of question-asking in creativity? How does curiosity drive question-asking which leads to creative problem solving? In our lab, we focus on this issue, via computational and empirical research.
In one line of research, we conducted an exploratory data analysis on the questions asked by an online question-asking game known as the Akinator (Sasson & Kenett, Reference Sasson and Kenett2023). In this game, a Genie like character attempts to guess the character the human player is thinking of, by asking a series of yes/no questions. We examined the types and sequencing of questions asked by the Akinator, to gain insights into natural human question-asking. While our analysis was limited in scope due to IP protection, we demonstrate that the Akinator's question-asking process does not aim to narrow an information space – a popular theory on the aim of question-asking – and that the questions generated by the Akinator can be characterized into focused, yet time-evolving, topics.
In a second line of research, we directly examine the role of asking more complex questions in creativity (Raz, Reiter-Palmon, & Kenett, Reference Raz, Reiter-Palmon and Kenett2023). We adapt the popular in-lab creativity assessment task – the alternative uses task (Acar & Runco, Reference Acar and Runco2019) that assesses divergent thinking. Divergent thinking is defined as ones' ability to generate multiple solutions to a given problem and is considered a main component of creative thinking. In the alternative uses task, participants are presented with an object and are required to generate all alternative uses possible for that object. In our revised task, we present participants with common objects such as a pencil or pillow, and are required to generate all the possible questions they can ask about that object. We then use subjective and objective assessments of participant's creative performance in both tasks, as well as rate each of the questions for their complexity (based on a classic complexity taxonomy known as the Bloom taxonomy; Bloom, Engelhart, Furst, Hill, & Krathwohl, Reference Bloom, Engelhart, Furst, Hill and Krathwohl1956). We find that as participants ask more complex questions, they are more creative, empirically highlighting the role of question-asking in creativity. In addition, participants are also assessed for intelligence, Openness to Experience, and curiosity (Raz et al., Reference Raz, Reiter-Palmon and Kenett2023). Although we find a strong significant relationship between question-asking and creativity, we find that in general, creativity was not significantly related to curiosity, further highlighting the complex relation between them (Gross, Zedelius, & Schooler, Reference Gross, Zedelius and Schooler2020). Finally, we find significant negative relations with question complexity and curiosity (as measured via self-report questionnaires) for both low- and high-level (complex) questions (Fig. 1).
Figure 1. Scatter plots of data reported in Raz et al. (Reference Raz, Reiter-Palmon and Kenett2023) between: (A) Question complexity and creativity; (B) creativity and curiosity; (C) low-level questions and curiosity; (D) high-level questions and curiosity.
Overall, question-asking is a possible mechanism that links together creativity and curiosity as related to information-seeking behavior. Yet, our findings demonstrate differentiated – and surprising – relations between question-asking, curiosity, and creativity. Thus, our current findings highlight the complex, largely unknown, relations between these capacities. Such results indeed raise more questions than answers, calling for empirical research to further elucidate the relation between them. Nevertheless, any theoretical framework on this topic, such as that by Ivancovsky et al., requires addressing specific mechanisms that drive such information-seeking behavior. Question-asking is likely such a mechanism, one that should not go unnoticed.
The article by Ivancovsky, Baror, and Bar is a timely article that aims to link curiosity and creativity under an information-seeking behavior framework. We agree with the sentiment and arguments raised by the authors, recently publishing a similar theoretical argument (Kenett, Humphries, & Chatterjee, Reference Kenett, Humphries and Chatterjee2023) as well as revised theories – on associative thinking and the role of memory in creativity – directly related to issues raised in the target article, but not discussed in it (e.g., Beaty & Kenett, Reference Beaty and Kenett2023; Benedek, Beaty, Schacter, & Kenett, Reference Benedek, Beaty, Schacter and Kenett2023).
We aim to highlight a critical issue not discussed in the target article, yet extremely important to its topic. The authors state: “The crux of our proposal is that curiosity and creativity converge on novelty seeking mechanisms…” and that “We propose that both are manifestations of a unified process that underlies novelty-seeking, as illustrated by a novelty-seeking model” (Ivancovsky et al.). While curiosity might be the driver, and creativity the output, of such information-seeking behavior, what mechanism realizes the seeking aspect of this behavior?
Information-seeking behavior likely promotes problem finding, the first stage in the creative problem-solving process (Reiter-Palmon & Robinson, Reference Reiter-Palmon and Robinson2009). Operationally, it involves the identification of a problem or the definition of an ambiguous situation into a workable problem or the raising of questions from ill-defined problem situations (Getzels, Reference Getzels1979). Past research indicates that problem finding is positively related to creative problem-solving (Mumford, Medeiros, & Partlow, Reference Mumford, Medeiros and Partlow2012) and to divergent thinking measures of creativity (Abdulla, Paek, Cramond, & Runco, Reference Abdulla, Paek, Cramond and Runco2020; Alabbasi, Acar, & Reiter-Palmon, Reference Alabbasi, Acar and Reiter-Palmon2023). Reiter-Palmon, Mumford, O'Connor Boes, & Runco (Reference Reiter-Palmon, Mumford, O'Connor Boes and Runco1997, Reference Reiter-Palmon, Mumford and Threlfall1998) have found that people who excel at problem-finding tend to restate problems as questions, highlighting the significance of questions in creativity.
We aim to expand and enrich the discussion of the target article on linking curiosity and creativity as information-seeking behavior, by highlighting the role of question-asking in such behavior. While we commonly and constantly ask questions, little research has been conducted on why humans ask questions and how question-asking facilitates information-seeking behavior. Questions are essential in human interactions, from children to adults (De Simone & Ruggeri, Reference De Simone and Ruggeri2021; Ruggeri, Lombrozo, Griffiths, & Xu, Reference Ruggeri, Lombrozo, Griffiths and Xu2016; Ruggeri, Xu, & Lombrozo, Reference Ruggeri, Xu and Lombrozo2019). They are widely used in a major part of our conversations, and have been shown to improve likability and engagement (VanEpps & Hart, Reference VanEpps and Hart2022). Questions also support our efforts to acquire knowledge and solve problems (Gottlieb, Reference Gottlieb2021; Rothe, Lake, & Gureckis, Reference Rothe, Lake and Gureckis2018).
Asking questions has also been suggested to serve as an indicator of curiosity, which has been found to be related to creativity. Curiosity plays an important role in the creative process, particularly when it comes to questions that reflect the sense of wonder that is intertwined with creativity (Acar, Berthiaume, & Johnson, Reference Acar, Berthiaume and Johnson2023). Thus, one may ask: What is the role of question-asking in creativity? How does curiosity drive question-asking which leads to creative problem solving? In our lab, we focus on this issue, via computational and empirical research.
In one line of research, we conducted an exploratory data analysis on the questions asked by an online question-asking game known as the Akinator (Sasson & Kenett, Reference Sasson and Kenett2023). In this game, a Genie like character attempts to guess the character the human player is thinking of, by asking a series of yes/no questions. We examined the types and sequencing of questions asked by the Akinator, to gain insights into natural human question-asking. While our analysis was limited in scope due to IP protection, we demonstrate that the Akinator's question-asking process does not aim to narrow an information space – a popular theory on the aim of question-asking – and that the questions generated by the Akinator can be characterized into focused, yet time-evolving, topics.
In a second line of research, we directly examine the role of asking more complex questions in creativity (Raz, Reiter-Palmon, & Kenett, Reference Raz, Reiter-Palmon and Kenett2023). We adapt the popular in-lab creativity assessment task – the alternative uses task (Acar & Runco, Reference Acar and Runco2019) that assesses divergent thinking. Divergent thinking is defined as ones' ability to generate multiple solutions to a given problem and is considered a main component of creative thinking. In the alternative uses task, participants are presented with an object and are required to generate all alternative uses possible for that object. In our revised task, we present participants with common objects such as a pencil or pillow, and are required to generate all the possible questions they can ask about that object. We then use subjective and objective assessments of participant's creative performance in both tasks, as well as rate each of the questions for their complexity (based on a classic complexity taxonomy known as the Bloom taxonomy; Bloom, Engelhart, Furst, Hill, & Krathwohl, Reference Bloom, Engelhart, Furst, Hill and Krathwohl1956). We find that as participants ask more complex questions, they are more creative, empirically highlighting the role of question-asking in creativity. In addition, participants are also assessed for intelligence, Openness to Experience, and curiosity (Raz et al., Reference Raz, Reiter-Palmon and Kenett2023). Although we find a strong significant relationship between question-asking and creativity, we find that in general, creativity was not significantly related to curiosity, further highlighting the complex relation between them (Gross, Zedelius, & Schooler, Reference Gross, Zedelius and Schooler2020). Finally, we find significant negative relations with question complexity and curiosity (as measured via self-report questionnaires) for both low- and high-level (complex) questions (Fig. 1).
Figure 1. Scatter plots of data reported in Raz et al. (Reference Raz, Reiter-Palmon and Kenett2023) between: (A) Question complexity and creativity; (B) creativity and curiosity; (C) low-level questions and curiosity; (D) high-level questions and curiosity.
Overall, question-asking is a possible mechanism that links together creativity and curiosity as related to information-seeking behavior. Yet, our findings demonstrate differentiated – and surprising – relations between question-asking, curiosity, and creativity. Thus, our current findings highlight the complex, largely unknown, relations between these capacities. Such results indeed raise more questions than answers, calling for empirical research to further elucidate the relation between them. Nevertheless, any theoretical framework on this topic, such as that by Ivancovsky et al., requires addressing specific mechanisms that drive such information-seeking behavior. Question-asking is likely such a mechanism, one that should not go unnoticed.
Financial support
This work was partially supported by the US-Israel Bi-national Science Fund (grant number 2021040).
Competing interests
None.