Up: [[Curiosity]] Created: 2024-01-10 Curiosity comes from caring to know what you don’t know. Tension reduction models are in contrast to [[Positive Experience Models of Curiosity]] ### Berlyne Model In the 1950s, Daniel Berlyne, a psychologist, said we go after the sweet spot between two really uncomfortable states: understimulation/boredom. And overstimulation. Berlyne says we use diversive curiosity if we are bored, meaning we try to find something/anything to stimulate us. Or we use specific curiosity if we are overstimulated, meaning we focus in on something so that we can get our system down to a more manageable level. ### Loewenstein Comes In In 1994, George Loewenstein from Carnegie Mellon University introduced his theory of the information gap. He says people are curious when they lack desired knowledge. To avoid the feeling of uncertainty, which is uncomfortable, they feel compelled to find the missing information.