Shared and Unique Features of Epistemic Emotions: Awe, Surprise, Curiosity, Interest, Confusion, and Boredom

Epistemic emotions are hardly ever studied together, making it difficult to predict what features are shared versus unique to each emotion. To address this, we conducted two autobiographical recall experiments. We compared awe, surprise, curiosity, interest, confusion, and boredom in terms of elicit...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Emotion (Washington, D.C.) D.C.), 2024-06, Vol.24 (4), p.1029-1048
Main Authors: Noordewier, Marret K., Gocłowska, Małgorzata A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptation, Psychological - physiology
Adult
Arousal - physiology
Boredom
Confusion
Coping Behavior
Curiosity
Emotions
Emotions - physiology
Epistemology
Exploratory Behavior - physiology
Female
Human
Humans
Knowledge
Male
Memory, Episodic
Mental Confusion
Mental Recall - physiology
Physiological Arousal
Young Adult
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Summary:Epistemic emotions are hardly ever studied together, making it difficult to predict what features are shared versus unique to each emotion. To address this, we conducted two autobiographical recall experiments. We compared awe, surprise, curiosity, interest, confusion, and boredom in terms of elicitors, subjective experience components, and action tendencies. Ratings were analyzed using network analyses, to describe the central features for the whole group of epistemic emotions. In addition, ratings were compared per emotion, to identify key features for each individual emotion. Results showed that valence, arousal, coping potential, and avoidance are central features of all epistemic emotions. Awe, surprise, and interest were relatively positive emotions, which together with curiosity, were associated with arousal, high coping potential, and approach. Confusion and boredom were relatively negative emotions, which were associated with low arousal, low coping potential, and avoidance. Further analyses revealed unique features of (groups of) emotions. For example, awe was associated with exceeded expectancies, while surprise was associated with both exceeded and disconfirmed expectancies. Moreover, curiosity and confusion were associated with having (too) little information, while awe and interest were associated with having sufficient information. All emotions except boredom were associated with exploration, but this was particularly high for curiosity and interest.
ISSN:1528-3542
1931-1516
DOI:10.1037/emo0001314