Curiosity Can Sharpen With Age. Here’s How to Train Yours

A new study shows your curiosity doesn’t fade; it sharpens. Here’s how to use it to boost memory, connection, and longevity.

There’s a surprising twist in how curiosity evolves across the lifespan, according to new research. While our general trait curiosity (a personality-level drive to seek novelty) tends to decline as we age, our state curiosity (a momentary spark of interest in specific new information) actually increases as we age.

In other words: You may not feel as naturally exploratory as you did in your 20s, but when presented with something that connects to what you already know, you’re more likely to lean in. Your brain becomes more selective, not less engaged.

This isn’t just a semantic difference. It’s a blueprint for how to keep your brain engaged, your memory sharp, and your learning alive for decades.

How Curiosity Changes with Age

In a new study published in PLOS ONE by researchers from UCLA, researchers tested over 1,200 adults between ages 20 and 84, asking them to rate their curiosity about a series of trivia questions. They also filled out surveys measuring their baseline level of curiosity. Here’s what stood out:

• Trait curiosity declines with age
  Older adults were less likely to describe themselves as generally curious across all domains.
  
• State curiosity increases with age
  When it came to specific knowledge (like trivia), older adults were more likely to express interest in learning the answer, especially when the topic tapped into prior knowledge.
  
• The midlife dip
  Interestingly, state curiosity took a small dip in midlife before rising again in older age, hinting at possible links between stress, time scarcity, and reduced mental bandwidth during our busiest decades.
  

This pattern supports the Selective Engagement Hypothesis, which suggests that as we age and cognitive resources become more precious, we become more discerning about where we invest them. We’re less likely to chase novelty for novelty’s sake, and more likely to engage deeply with information that feels relevant or meaningful. In other words, your curiosity doesn’t fade; it sharpens.

Four Reasons Curiosity Matters for Cognitive Health

This research flips a common myth about aging on its head: that curiosity wanes and the desire to learn fades with time. Not true. The type of curiosity may shift, but the drive to learn, especially when the material connects with our lived experience, remains strong, and can even deepen.

That’s powerful news for Super Agers: It means your aging brain isn’t shutting down—it’s getting better at prioritizing.

This selective curiosity also has cognitive benefits. Past research has linked curiosity with:

• Better Memory Performance: Curiosity enhances memory. When we’re curious before learning something new, we retain more of the information. This applies to both younger and older adults, according to research published in Psychology and Aging.
  
• Longer Lifespan: A five-year follow-up study found that older adults with higher curiosity scores were significantly more likely to survive than those with lower scores. The study, published in Psychology and Aging, suggests that curiosity may act as a psychological buffer that supports health and longevity.
  
• Emotional Resilience and Cognitive Flexibility: Curiosity has been linked to greater adaptability during life transitions and a more flexible mindset. This includes increased comfort with uncertainty and the ability to navigate change, hallmarks of cognitive resilience in later life.
  
• Stronger Social Bonds and Playfulness Curious people tend to be more open, expressive, and engaged in social situations. Studies show that trait and state curiosity are linked to: Greater interpersonal closeness during new interaction, more humor, emotional expressiveness, and non-defensive communication styles, and a greater tendency to initiate playful or unconventional conversation.
  

Curiosity, especially the state-based kind, is an adaptive tool for aging well. And we can train it.

Clearing the Way for Curiosity: A Daily Practice for Reopening Your Mind

Curiosity is something you practice. And like any practice, it starts with awareness. This framework helps you tune into your curiosity as a natural capacity, identify what gets in its way, and develop tools to strengthen it.

STEP 1: Notice Your Curiosity

Everyone is curious. But it shows up in different ways.

Ask yourself:

• What kinds of things naturally make me want to learn more? (Topics, people, feelings, puzzles)
  
• When was the last time I felt energized by not knowing something?
  
• Do I feel more curious when I’m relaxed or when I’m challenged?

Why this matters: Research shows curiosity lives in both spontaneous wonder and deliberate exploration. Recognizing your default style is the first step in making it a skill.

Try this micro-practice: Each day, notice one moment where you felt even a flicker of interest and write it down. That’s your curiosity in action.

STEP 2: Name What Blocks Curiosity

We lose curiosity when discomfort outweighs openness.

Common hindrances:

• Unmet expectations: “This isn’t how I thought it would go.”
  
• Uncertainty or complexity: “This is confusing or uncomfortable.”
  
• Ego protection: “If I admit I don’t know, I might look foolish.”

What the research says: Curiosity drops when we feel we should know something already, or when our assumptions are challenged and we’re not emotionally resourced to explore.

Try this reframing prompt: “What if this discomfort is a doorway instead of a dead end?”

STEP 3: Practice Encouraging It

Curiosity grows with attention and choice.

These three practices can strengthen your curiosity muscle:

1. Pause: When something frustrates or surprises you, take a breath and label the feeling. This interrupts reactivity and opens space for exploration.
2. Flip the Question: Shift from “Why is this happening?” to “What else could be going on here?” This sparks flexible thinking and reduces judgment.
3. Name the Gap: Notice when there’s something you don’t know, and say: “I wonder…” This builds tolerance for ambiguity and primes learning circuits.

Curiosity is not a trait you have or don’t have. It’s a direction you choose to face. This framework gives you a way to turn toward curiosity in daily moments, in hard conversations, and in the questions that matter most.

And when we follow a spark of curiosity, asking the next question, going a layer deeper, we’re doing more than satisfying a momentary urge. We’re reinforcing memory pathways. We’re strengthening the mental muscles that matter most.