Insight-seeking is consistent across domains and distinct from other forms of curiosity

Abstract

Feelings of insight can be triggered by making a scientific discovery, but also by discovering the culprit in a whodunit, or solving a riddle. While the intensity of these feelings varies between individuals, it is unclear whether some people consistently seek out insight across a wide range of stimuli. We conducted two studies to investigate this question. Study 1 (N = 189) revealed that individuals who enjoy one type of insight-generating content tend to enjoy other types as well. Study 2 (N = 470) showed that this interest differs from other types of curiosity, such as exploration and morbid curiosity. Together, these findings suggest that insight-seeking might be a distinct personality trait.