An Expectancy and Value Model of Daily Exploratory Behavior in College Students

Exploration is crucial for human development, yet we know very little about exploration in daily life. In this dissertation I examine exploration as novel behaviors intended to lead an individual to learn or experience something new. I use an Expectancy-Value framework to understand who explores more in daily life and what factors predict greater exploration within a given individual. I hypothesize that individual differences in openness, curiosity, promotion and attachment influence expectancy and value judgments towards exploring and that this will affect engagement in exploratory activities. I tested these predictions in three studies. Study 1 was a cross-sectional survey of exploratory experiences recalled over the past three days. Few associations emerged between individual differences and behavior. However, individual differences were associated with expectancy and value in the predicted manner. Additionally, expectancy and value for intellectual and environmental exploration were related to engagement in exploratory activities in these domains. Study 2 was a longitudinal diary study where participants reported on their exploratory experiences every third day for three weeks. Study 2 also incorporated an experimental component such that half of the participants were randomly assigned to a condition designed to increase their expectancy and value for exploring. This manipulation was successful in increasing value and also in increasing reports of exploratory behavior during the week of the manipulation. Study 3 was a lab study that defined exploration as explicit intentions to engage in two exploratory activities. There were no associations between individual differences and exploration. However, in line with studies 1 and 2, individual differences were associated with expectancy and value and expectancy and value were associated with exploration. Across all three studies, individual differences did not predict college students' exploratory behavior. Individual differences did predict participants' expectancy and value for exploring across different domains and expectancy and value judgments were associated with daily exploratory behaviors. There was also evidence for a directional relationship such that increases in value for exploring within an individual was associated with greater self-reported engagement in exploratory activities. The process of daily exploration in college students is discussed in light of these findings.