Though an emerging body of theory and research suggests that individuals who feel and express greater interpersonal curiosity experience improved social functioning and relationships, researchers have yet to examine interpersonal curiosity from the perspective of those receiving questions from others. The present study employs a mixed-methods approach to explore the questions young adults wish to be asked by four relational partners (i.e., closest friend, mother figure, father figure, and romantic partner), along with their reasons why. Among our sample of college students (N = 641; Mage = 19.82), eight distinct types of questions (e.g., about one’s well-being), along with six themes in their reasons for wishing to receive this curiosity (e.g., to improve relational dynamics), were identified. Findings not only suggest that young adults have questions they wish to be asked but also offer insight into six potential mechanisms by which they believe interpersonal curiosity could enhance their relationships.
Taffe et al. (Wed,) studied this question.