Curious people, resilient minds? The role of a curious personality in cognitive reserve and cognitive abilities

A curious personality, defined as a disposition to seek, engage with, and enjoy novel experiences, might increase cognitive resilience across the lifespan through stimulating behavior that helps build cognitive reserve (CR). This study examined whether a curious personality is associated with proxy measures of CR, and whether CR proxies mediated a potential association between curiosity and cognitive abilities in mid-to-late adulthood. In a cross-sectional sample of 106 adults (aged 40–85), we measured curiosity using interest-based curiosity questionnaires and the openness to experience subscale of the HEXACO. CR proxies were measured by the Cognitive Reserve Index questionnaire (CRIq) subscales of education, occupation, and leisure activities. Cognitive abilities was assessed with three neuropsychological tests of memory, executive function, and attention/processing speed. Bayesian structural equation modeling indicated a robust positive association between curiosity and CR proxies. However, no evidence was observed for an association between curiosity or CR proxies and cognitive function. Although this study is limited by its cross-sectional design and relatively healthy sample, the results suggest that a curious personality may drive individual differences in cognitively stimulating experiences, but not cognitive abilities themselves.