Concept

Curiosity gap

You might say: intrigue, information gap, clickbait (when dishonest)

The gap between what a viewer knows and wants to know. Loewenstein’s information-gap theory: curiosity peaks when you know part of the answer, not none.

What it does

Gives the click a reason; the video then closes the gap.

Ask

What does the package make them wonder, and does the video really answer it?

Trouble

The gap is fake: the answer is trivial or missing, and viewers leave or feel misled.

What to look for

1. A package leaving a specific question
2. Part of an answer visible, the rest withheld
3. An answer the video actually closes

Pattern

Setup and payoff

Connections

• See also: Open loop

Sources

1. Kidd & Hayden, The psychology and neuroscience of curiosity, Function of curiosity and information-gap theoryGeorge Loewenstein (1994) described curiosity as “a cognitive induced deprivation that arises from the perception of a gap in knowledge and understanding.”

Use it on your project

teardown-apply: hold "Curiosity gap" (curiosity-gap) from the teardown at https://teardownatlas.com/content-creation/ against my project

Paste it into a coding agent that has the teardown skills.

An AI agent wrote this map with the teardown skill. It can contain errors: check the sources before you rely on a part. About and legal