Fostering Curiosity/Information Gap Examples
Here are several examples of information gaps that are especially likely to stimulate curiosity.[1] Each involves a known unknown—a space between what we know and what we want to know—triggering a desire to resolve the uncertainty:
1. Incomplete Stories
- Example: “He walked into the room, gasped, and said, ‘I never expected to see you here.’”
- Gap: Who is "you"? What happened before? What’s the relationship?
- Why it triggers curiosity: The setup promises a revelation but withholds key details.
2. Contradictory Information
- Example: “She trained for months and led the race until the final mile—then suddenly quit.”
- Gap: Why did she quit when she was so close to winning?
- Why it triggers curiosity: Contradictions challenge our expectations and invite deeper explanation.
3. Missing Pieces in a Pattern
- Example: “Paris is known for the Eiffel Tower, Rome for the Colosseum, and New York for __.”
- Gap: What completes the pattern?
- Why it triggers curiosity: Humans naturally seek closure and symmetry in patterns.
4. Unexpected Outcomes
- Example: “This tiny country has the world’s highest literacy rate—and it’s not one you’d expect.”
- Gap: Which country? Why is it unexpected?
- Why it triggers curiosity: Surprise combined with uncertainty increases attention and interest.
5. Ambiguous Choices
- Example: “If you could have just one superpower, what would you choose—and why might it backfire?”
- Gap: What’s the best choice? What are the trade-offs?
- Why it triggers curiosity: Ambiguity invites internal debate and further exploration.
6. Delayed Answers
- Example: “Researchers finally solved a mystery that baffled scientists for over 50 years. The answer? We’ll get to that…”
- Gap: What was the mystery? What’s the answer?
- Why it triggers curiosity: The delay builds tension, compelling the reader to keep going.
7. Paradoxical Puzzles
- Example: “The more you share it, the more you have it. What is it?”
- Gap: What fits this riddle?
- Why it triggers curiosity: Paradoxes invite deeper cognitive effort to resolve contradictions.
8. Ignorance of the Familiar
- Example: “You see this every day—but do you know how it actually works?”
- Gap: What are we missing about what we think we know?
- Why it triggers curiosity: Revealing gaps in assumed knowledge often triggers an urge to “fill in the blanks.”
9. Hidden Origins
- Example: “This everyday object was originally invented for a completely different purpose.”
- Gap: What is the object? What was its original purpose?
- Why it triggers curiosity: We’re drawn to the unknown backstory behind the familiar.
10. Cognitive Illusions
- Example: “Most people answer this question incorrectly—even though the correct answer is simple.”
- Gap: What is the question? What’s the right answer?
- Why it triggers curiosity: Challenges to our intuition or intelligence push us to test ourselves.
11. Unusual Comparisons
- Example: “More people have access to smartphones than to clean drinking water.”
- Gap: Is that true? How could that be?
- Why it triggers curiosity: Surprising comparisons prompt deeper reflection and investigation.
12. Unknown Consequences
- Example: “One small change in your daily routine could significantly improve your memory.”
- Gap: What is the change? Why does it work?
- Why it triggers curiosity: Implied benefit withholds the key action needed to unlock it.
13. Secret Knowledge
- Example: “There’s a psychological trick that makes people twice as likely to agree with you.”
- Gap: What is the trick?
- Why it triggers curiosity: Secrets or "insider" knowledge provoke strong desire to uncover what others don't know.
14. Moral Dilemmas
- Example: “Would you break the law to save a life? Most people answer differently once they hear this story.”
- Gap: What is the story? Why do people change their answer?
- Why it triggers curiosity: Moral tension encourages reflection and a need to resolve ambiguity.
15. Reversals of Expectation
- Example: “Why doing less can actually make you more productive.”
- Gap: Why would less effort produce more results?
- Why it triggers curiosity: Unexpected outcomes disrupt assumptions and invite explanation.
16. Unknown Identity
- Example: “She changed the course of science, but most people have never heard her name.”
- Gap: Who is she? What did she do?
- Why it triggers curiosity: The gap between importance and obscurity makes us want to correct the imbalance.
17. Unseen Risks
- Example: “The most dangerous part of your day is probably something you never notice.”
- Gap: What is it? Why is it dangerous?
- Why it triggers curiosity: Threats we’re unaware of provoke an urgent need to know.
18. Suppressed or Forgotten History
- Example: “This critical historical event is barely mentioned in textbooks—yet it shaped the modern world.”
- Gap: What event? Why was it overlooked?
- Why it triggers curiosity: Hidden or suppressed knowledge triggers the desire to correct historical gaps.
19. Unexplained Behavior
- Example: “He refused to cash a million-dollar check—and his reason shocked everyone.”
- Gap: Who is he? Why did he refuse it?
- Why it triggers curiosity: Unexpected actions demand explanation.
20. Incomplete Processes
- Example: “We started with a single idea and transformed it into a global movement—here’s how.”
- Gap: What was the idea? What steps made it grow?
- Why it triggers curiosity: People want to understand the process behind success.