Information Gap Theory
Updated 2026-08-10
INTRODUCTION
English translation pending.
CORE DEFINITION
Proposed by George Loewenstein, information gap theory states that curiosity emerges when a person perceives a gap between what they know and what they want to know. The gap produces a mental itch that drives the person to fill it, which is why teaching and writing should expose the missing puzzle piece first, make the audience uncomfortable, and only then supply the knowledge.
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
- Open the gap first: show the missing puzzle piece before delivering the answer - Tune the width: aim for a gap that is neither trivially familiar nor impossibly alien - Close the loop: provide the knowledge right after the itch peaks, or trust dies
Anchor fast decisions
Curiosity is the discomfort of an unresolved discrepancy between a current knowledge state and a target state, and the mind treats that discomfort as an itch it must scratch. A gap too small reads as already known and produces no pull, a gap too large reads as unreachable and is abandoned, so a moderate gap drives the strongest effort.
MINIMUM ACTION
In progress 0/1Practice this model in one real situation:
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Source support: Explicit
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curiosityverified
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