This is a seven-question instrument, which uses a seven-point Likert scale to measure two dimensions of curiosity: appetite for novelty, and "absorbtion," e.g. the desire to want to "dig deeper" and learn more about a topic, person, activity, etc.  Absorption is also sometimes known in the literature, particularly in technology-related fields,  as "flow."

This is a psychometrically validated tool, which has been shown to have good discriminatory ability. Reading the research article is useful (to the facilitator) for mastering these concepts, but is not necessary to the effectiveness of the instrument.

Because it has high face-validity, it is a good meta-cognition or self-awareness tool, particularly when used with mentor feedback and or guided group discussion.

Related instruments which may also be worth investigating for some instructors and researchers are the:

• Sensation-seeking Scale, Zuckerman, Eysenck & Eysenck, 1978; which measures propensity for enjoying higher-risk activities
• Epistemic Curiosity Scale, Litman & Spielberger, 2003; which measures enjoyment of effortful activities.
• State-Trait Curiosity Inventory, Spielberger, 1979; which captures curiosity as excitement & positive affect.

Qualtrics

The virtual Qualtrics version of this assessment was created by Prof. Ashima Krishna in fulfillment of the requirements of the Intercultural Pedagogy Grant program. For access to make a copy of this Qualtrics please make a request noting the specific URL of this tool to cilmar@purdue.edu.