Curiosity plays a complex role in substance use as it can contribute to initiation, but it also offers a powerful avenue for intervention. This presentation explores research examining curiosity as a motivational process that can be deliberately engaged through health communication to promote behavior change, with applications to tobacco and alcohol use. 

Evidence shows that curiosity-eliciting messages reliably enhance attention to and recall of substance-related health information among adolescents and U.S. priority populations. Research on persistence dynamics demonstrates how tightly coupled symptom systems during tobacco withdrawal can sustain discomfort and undermine cessation efforts. Bridging these perspectives, curiosity emerges as a modifiable lever for disrupting maladaptive persistence. Daily-life interventions that incorporate brief psychological distance reminders designed to foster curiosity during alcohol encounters are associated with reductions in alcohol consumption frequency. 

These findings highlight curiosity not only as a potential risk factor but also as a motivational mechanism with practical implications for health communication, addiction science, and intervention design. 

Seminar Takeaways: 

• Understanding curiosity as a driver of attention, recall, and behavior change 
• Insights on leveraging curiosity to support substance use interventions 
• Applications for health messaging and intervention strategies across diverse populations 

Regster to attend: https://rutgers.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1Y1aFVJrWKkmg6i?Q_CHL=qr

• Poster Setup: 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
• Keynote Speaker: 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
• Poster Session: 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
• Awards Lunch: 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.