Curious People, Resilient Minds? The Role of a Curious Personality in Cognitive Reserve and Cognitive Function

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 building 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 function in mid-to-late adulthood. In a cross-sectional sample of 106 adults (aged 40-85), we measured the level of curiosity by combining 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 function was measured using three neuropsychological tests assessing memory, executive function, and attention and processing speed. Bayesian structural equation modeling indicated a robust positive association between a curious personality and CR proxies, particularly via education and leisure. 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 be an important driver of cognitively stimulating experiences, but not of cognitive performance itself. Future studies using longitudinal data, more cognitively diverse samples, and broader cognitive assessments are needed to clarify the role of curiosity and CR proxies in cognitive ageing.