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Curiosity, Exploratory Drive, and Exploratory Behavior

  • Writer: Deric Hollings
    Deric Hollings
  • Jul 14
  • 4 min read

 

When practicing Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) in a personal and professional capacity, rather than allowing irrational beliefs which result in self-disturbance to go unchecked, I often favor a perspective related to curiosity, exploratory drive, and exploratory behavior.

 

For context, the American Psychological Association (APA) defines drive as “a generalized state of readiness precipitating or motivating an activity or course of action.” Now, I’ll provide definitions for additional terms. The APA thusly defines curiosity:

 

[T]he impulse or desire to investigate, observe, or gather information, particularly when the material is novel or interesting.

 

This drive appears spontaneously in nonhuman animals and in young children, who use sensory exploration and motor manipulation to inspect, bite, handle, taste, or smell practically everything in the immediate environment. See exploratory drive. —curious adj.

 

When practicing REBT, I remain curious about other outlooks (e.g., whereas I’m agnostic, I’m curious about the spiritual and religious beliefs of my clients who use faith-based views). Now, in the definition of curiosity, the APA referenced exploratory drive, which it thusly defines:

 

[T]he motivation that compels an organism to examine its environment. The exploratory drive may be secondary to other drives, such as fear or hunger leading to exploration. Alternatively, exploratory behavior may be a separate and independent drive. Also called exploration drive.

 

With REBT, I experience exploratory drive when considering points of view (e.g., “I wonder if a spiritual practice other than the Abrahamic religions applies,” I think). Now, in the definition of exploratory drive, the APA referenced exploratory behavior, which it thusly defines:

 

[T]he movements made by human beings or other animals in orienting to new environments. Exploratory behavior occurs even when there is no obvious biological reward associated with it. A lack of such behavior in a new environment is often used as a measure of fearfulness or emotionality.

 

The key distinction between exploratory drive and exploratory behavior, as it pertains to my practice of REBT, is that the former regards motivation to do something and the latter concerns movement toward doing something (e.g., actually asking questions about a client’s spirituality).

 

Given this relatively short blogpost on curiosity, exploratory drive, and exploratory behavior, as these terms relate to my personal and professional practice of REBT, I now invite you to use a similar method of rational living. If you begin from a place of curiosity, then you’re doing well.

 

If you’re looking for a provider who tries to work to help understand how thinking impacts physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral elements of your life—helping you to sharpen your critical thinking skills, I invite you to reach out today by using the contact widget on my website.

 

As a psychotherapist, I’m pleased to try to help people with an assortment of issues ranging from anger (hostility, rage, and aggression) to relational issues, adjustment matters, trauma experience, justice involvement, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and depression, and other mood or personality-related matters.

 

At Hollings Therapy, LLC, serving all of Texas, I aim to treat clients with dignity and respect while offering a multi-lensed approach to the practice of psychotherapy and life coaching. My mission includes: Prioritizing the cognitive and emotive needs of clients, an overall reduction in client suffering, and supporting sustainable growth for the clients I serve. Rather than simply trying to help you to feel better, I want to try to help you get better!

 

 

Deric Hollings, LPC, LCSW


Photo credit, Designed by Magnific, fair use

 

References:

 

APA Dictionary of Psychology. (2018, April 19). Curiosity. American Psychological Association. Retrieve from https://dictionary.apa.org/curiosity

APA Dictionary of Psychology. (2018, April 19). Drive. American Psychological Association. Retrieve from https://dictionary.apa.org/drive

APA Dictionary of Psychology. (2018, April 19). Emotionality. American Psychological Association. Retrieve from https://dictionary.apa.org/emotionality

APA Dictionary of Psychology. (2018, April 19). Exploratory behavior. American Psychological Association. Retrieve from https://dictionary.apa.org/exploratory-behavior

APA Dictionary of Psychology. (2018, April 19). Exploratory drive. American Psychological Association. Retrieve from https://dictionary.apa.org/exploratory-drive

Hollings, D. (2026, June 16). A fountain of goodness: Subjective and objective views. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/a-fountain-of-goodness-subjective-and-objective-views

Hollings, D. (2026, February 8). Adaptive and maladaptive emotions and behavior. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/adaptive-and-maladaptive-emotions-and-behavior

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Hollings, D. (2023, September 8). Fair use. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/fair-use

Hollings, D. (2026, April 17). Fear, take the wheel. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/fear-take-the-wheel

Hollings, D. (2024, May 17). Feeling better vs. getting better. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/feeling-better-vs-getting-better-1

Hollings, D. (2026, February 13). Five, four, three… beliefs. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/five-four-three-beliefs

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Hollings, D. (n.d.). Hollings Therapy, LLC [Official website]. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/

Hollings, D. (2026, May 16). I’m finding it hard to believe we’re in Heaven or Hell: Agnostic. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/i-m-finding-it-hard-to-believe-we-re-in-heaven-or-hell-agnostic

Hollings, D. (2026, April 26). Impulse. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/impulse

Hollings, D. (2022, November 8). Information overload. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/information-overload

Hollings, D. (2024, January 2). Interests and goals. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/interests-and-goals

Hollings, D. (2026, February 8). Is It Desire, or Is It Love? Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/is-it-desire-or-is-it-love

Hollings, D. (2023, September 19). Life coaching. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/life-coaching

Hollings, D. (2025, September 26). Observing eye and perceiving eye. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/observing-eye-and-perceiving-eye

Hollings, D. (2026, July 9). Outlook: The more things change, the more they stay the same. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/outlook-the-more-things-change-the-more-they-stay-the-same

Hollings, D. (2025, April 9). Perception, action, and will. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/perception-action-and-will

Hollings, D. (2024, July 20). Perspective shift. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/perspective-shift

Hollings, D. (2026, June 15). Point of view. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/point-of-view

Hollings, D. (2024, May 5). Psychotherapist. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/psychotherapist

Hollings, D. (2022, March 24). Rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT). Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/rational-emotive-behavior-therapy-rebt

Hollings, D. (2024, May 15). Rational living. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/rational-living

Hollings, D. (2025, February 24). Reinforcement and punishment. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/reinforcement-and-punishment

Hollings, D. (2022, November 1). Self-disturbance. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/self-disturbance

Hollings, D. (2026, April 28). Self-motivation: Trying to motivate the unmotivated. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/self-motivation-trying-to-motivate-the-unmotivated

Hollings, D. (2024, April 21). Sensation. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/sensation

Hollings, D. (2025, February 28). To try is my goal. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/to-try-is-my-goal

Wikipedia. (n.d.). Abrahamic religions. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abrahamic_religions

© 2024 by Hollings Therapy, LLC 

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