Subjective semantic search space as an estimate of prior knowledge predicts curiosity to learn among younger and...

Although aging is associated with changes in cognitive functioning, older adults can show an intact ability to remember information that they are curious to know about. Some research suggests that older adults may exhibit greater states of curiosity during laboratory tasks compared to younger adults, as larger semantic networks characteristic of older age (e.g., more prior knowledge) may support learning and motivation. Still, what exactly constitutes prior knowledge remains ambiguous, raising the question of whether curiosity may be the outcome of an inferential appraisal whereby one estimates the number of answer candidates in their search space. In two experiments, younger and older adults saw a series of trivia questions, reported how many answer candidates were accessible, and rated their confidence and curiosity to learn the correct answer. We found that older adults were more likely to endorse having one answer candidate, but the presence of multiple (e.g., two, three, or more) answer candidates was associated with high states of curiosity and low confidence across both age groups. Therefore, observed age-related differences in state curiosity may stem less from differences in search space and more from a general motivation to learn. Overall, while curiosity may manifest differently across the lifespan, subjective semantic search space as an inferred estimate of prior knowledge appears to be a reliable predictor of one's desire to learn among younger and older adults. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).