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Curiosity as a catalyst for conceptual change: A schema-based model of learning and development
Alice Xu1, Catherine M Sandhofer1, James W Stigler1
1Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, 1285 Franz Hall, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
Acta Psychologica
|March 8, 2026
Summary
Curiosity drives learning by expanding knowledge through prediction errors. The new Schema Expansion and Error-driven Knowledge-building (SEEK) model explains how curiosity fosters deep learning and creativity throughout life.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Creativity Research
Background:
- Curiosity is a key driver of exploration and learning.
- Existing theories lack detailed mechanisms for how curiosity shapes knowledge development over time.
Purpose of the Study:
- Introduce the Schema Expansion and Error-driven Knowledge-building (SEEK) model.
- Provide a process-based framework for understanding curiosity's role in long-term knowledge development.
- Integrate motivational, emotional, and cognitive aspects of curiosity.
Main Methods:
- Developed the SEEK model based on schema theory.
- Conceptualized learning as an interplay of accretion, tuning, restructuring, and schema formation.
- Linked these mechanisms to prediction error and curiosity (automatic/deliberate).
Main Results:
- The SEEK model explains how curiosity evolves from perceptual to metacognitive inquiry.
- It details how curiosity supports knowledge revision and complex learning.
- Schema restructuring moments are identified as seeds for novel insights and creativity.
Conclusions:
- The SEEK model offers a unified, developmentally grounded explanation for curiosity's impact on learning and creativity.
- It highlights curiosity's role in fostering deep learning and creative thinking across the lifespan.
- Findings have implications for education, developmental psychology, and creativity research.
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