This one trick will change the way people learn
Why infuriating clickbait headlines (like this one!) compel us to click, and how leaders can use the science of curiosity as a catalyst for behaviour change.
Whether it’s embracing new ways of thinking, adopting new ways of working, or understanding an unfamiliar system or process, ongoing learning is crucial in any role. And as the pace of change escalates and the average time in the workforce extends, lifelong learning is imperative.
With an increased demand for ongoing learning and development comes the need for better learning and development experiences. And when it comes to encouraging people to learn, there’s no better way than curiosity.
The relationship between curiosity and learning makes perfect sense. From the moment we’re born it plays a major role in our personal development, not to mention the evolution of our species.
When something intrigues us, we’re compelled to investigate. And when we’re inquisitive enough, it completely consumes us. This makes curiosity ridiculously effective at priming people to learn — putting them in the ideal state for discovery, experimentation and self-improvement.
There’s a subtle yet powerful shift in mindset that happens when people choose to opt in, rather than being forced to learn. They’re more focused, more committed, and actively engaged.
So how can leaders use curiosity to facilitate learning?
Well, novelty, intrigue and surprise are all proven to pique curiosity. But the most effective method is capitalising on a psychological phenomenon known as the curiosity gap.
In the early nineties, George Loewenstein identified that we’re at our most curious when there’s a gap between what we know, and what we want to know. An almost obsessive need to close this gap triggers an emotional response — much like a cognitive itch we desperately want to scratch, and only relieve by learning.
Marketing and advertising copywriters have been thoroughly exploiting the curiosity gap to gain our attention and influence our behaviour for years. Clickbait headlines tease us with just enough (but not too much) information, promising a satisfying revelation with just one click.
To determine exactly how effective the curiosity gap is in influencing people’s decision making and behaviours, Evan Polman and researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison conducted a series of experiments. One study offered 200 participants a choice between a plain cookie and a delicious, chocolate-dipped, sprinkle-burnished biscuit.
Which did most choose?
The answer is obvious.
Or is it?
In a cruel twist, the researchers told half the participants that the plain biscuit was a fortune cookie with a personalised message inside. In the group who weren’t given this additional information, a very sensible 80 per cent chose the superior chocolate-dipped cookie. But out of the group who were told the plain biscuit was a fortune cookie, 71 per cent chose the plain biscuit. Curiosity alone caused a majority to make an undeniably inferior cookie choice.
Other studies confirm that we’ll invest more effort simply to satisfy our curiosity. Polman and pals increased the use of stairs in a university building by roughly 10 per cent just by posting trivia questions near the elevator and promising that answers could be found in the stairwell.
So whether it’s getting people interested in an upcoming program, encouraging them to adopt a new procedure, teaching them a new skill, improving a learning and development experience, or as a catalyst for behaviour change, leaders can use the curiosity gap by:
Teasing people with a small amount of information, while withholding the rest.
Delivering content as a series of bite-sized chunks to keep people hungry for more.
Providing information as a puzzle or quiz for people to fill in the blanks.
Considering segmenting communication where significant differences in knowledge or experience exist. The curiosity gap is more effective when people know a small to moderate amount.
Using this tactic only for positive messaging — never bad news. No-one wants to be tortured with hints about their impending redundancy.
