This review of the literature on the development of young children's curiosity is directed specifically toward teachers and other practitioners and emphasizes what socialization agents can do to influence children's curiosity. Gaps in current knowledge about children's curiosity and implications of research findings are discussed. Theoretical…

This study explored the effects of three types of maternal modeling on the tactual curiosity behavior of forty-eight 4- to 6-year-old children. Results indicated that imitative tactual curiosity occurred significantly more frequently among children exposed to maternal modeling of similar behavior. (BD)

Examines the relationships between certain maternal interaction patterns and children's curiosity in a semistructured situation. Forty mother-preschool child pairs were observed for 20 minutes in a play situation involving both novel materials and standard preschool toys. (JMB)

Preschool children exhibited less curiosity about and less frequent recall of unfamiliar objects when the objects were labeled for the opposite sex than when they were labeled either for their own or for both sexes. (Author/MJL)