Exploring curiosity, surprise, and interest: validating the MagicCATs dataset in Italy

This study validated the Magic Curiosity Arousing Tricks (MagicCATs) dataset, a collection of 166 short magic trick videos designed to elicit epistemic emotions such as curiosity, surprise, and interest. Involving 654 Italian participants aged 18 to 86, we assessed emotional and cognitive responses to the stimuli using both binary and Likert-scale measures. The results confirm the dataset’s effectiveness in eliciting epistemic emotions even in a cultural context different from the original. This work provides evidence of ecological validity and experimental utility, opening new opportunities for its application in psychology, neuroscience, education, and cognitive aging research.