Although many living beings have an innate capability of
curiosity, it should not be categorized as an instinct because it is not a
fixed action pattern; rather it is an innate basic emotion because while
curiosity can be expressed in many ways, the expression of an instinct is
typically more fixed and less flexible. Curiosity is common to human beings at
all ages from infancy through adulthood, and is easy to observe in many other
animal species. These include apes, cats, and rodents.
