---
title: 'Video LEyQ4N-EpAU'
source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=LEyQ4N-EpAU'
video_id: 'LEyQ4N-EpAU'
date: 2026-06-14
duration_sec: 0
---

# Video LEyQ4N-EpAU

> Source: [Video LEyQ4N-EpAU](https://youtube.com/watch?v=LEyQ4N-EpAU)

## Summary

The video explains how to capture audience attention using the curiosity gap, a psychological principle that leverages the desire to fill the void between what we know and what we want to know. It warns against misuse, such as clickbait, and emphasizes using curiosity ethically to build trust.

### Key Points

- **Introduction to the Curiosity Gap** [00:00] — The speaker introduces the concept of capturing attention in a noisy online world using a simple principle used for decades in television and online content.
- **The Stairs Experiment** [00:52] — Psychologist Evan Polman posted a trivia question at the bottom of stairs to see if curiosity could influence people to take the stairs instead of the elevator.
- **Emotion Leads to Action** [01:52] — Dr. Donald Kahn's insight: emotion leads to action, while reason leads to conclusions. Marketers must connect emotionally to change behavior.
- **Definition of Curiosity Gap** [02:28] — The curiosity gap is the void between what we know and what we want to know. People are driven to fill that void.
- **Results of the Experiment** [02:36] — Posting a simple trivia question increased stair use by 10%. This demonstrates the power of curiosity to influence behavior.
- **Warning Against Clickbait** [02:55] — Misusing curiosity through clickbait can destroy trust. The payoff must match the expectation set by the curiosity gap.
- **Ethical Use of Curiosity** [03:37] — Encourages using the curiosity gap for good—to tell better stories, ask questions, and build trust, not to manipulate.

### Conclusion

The curiosity gap is a powerful tool for capturing attention and influencing behavior, but it must be used ethically to build trust rather than destroy it.

## Transcript

- Today you're gonna learn how
to capture your audience's attention
in a noisy online world.
It's actually a very simple
principle I used for decades,
writing for television networks
like NBC, CNN, CBS, and MTV.
And it's the very same concept
that's help build some
of the most successful
online content platforms in the world.
Now I should warn you, this
simple concept can be used
to earn your audience's
attention and build trust,
but the very same psychological
phenomenon you'll leverage
can be used to do the complete opposite,
to destroy your audience's
trust over time.
I'm gonna show you how it works,
the psychological
phenomenon it's based on,
and even reveal to you
the one online platform
that's created a generation
of content skeptics,
all of that and more on
today's Loyalty Loop.
(upbeat music)
Here's the deal, a couple of years ago,
a psychologist decided to run
a very interesting experiment.
What he decided to do was post
a trivia question like this
at the bottom of the stairs
in an office building
just like this one.
My trivia question says:
which common word
changes its pronunciation
when the first letter is capitalized?
Hm.
And below this question,
he hung another sign
that said the and answer is
at the top of the stairs.
Do you know the answer?
- No.
- You curious?
- Yeah.
- Then, he and his team sat back to watch.
You see what Evan Polman wanted to know
was whether he could
influence people's decisions
by invoking a deep
desire to find the answer
to just a very simple trivia question.
Could the simple quest for
an answer entice people
to make healthier choices?
Most people take an elevator
in buildings like this,
but studies have proven
that just taking the stairs
can make you healthier.
But as all good marketers know,
giving them a mountain of
facts and a bunch of studies
that prove it makes them healthier
won't get them to change.
What we've gotta do is
connect with them emotionally,
invoke and emotional
reaction that gets them
to change their behavior.
Remember, Dr. Donald Kahn says
that emotion leads to action,
while reason leads to conclusions.
What Evan wanted to understand
was how to invite people
to embrace the search,
which we talked about
just a few weeks ago.
And he's using a really
powerful psychological force,
curiosity.
Curiosity is a complicated concept
and we're gonna covering it
more in the next few weeks.
But what we're gonna focus on today
is what's sometimes referred
to as the curiosity gap
or the information gap.
But basically we can boil it down
to the simple idea that
we love to fill the void
between what we know and
what we want to know,
or even what we need to know.
So what happened in Evan's study?
Well some people still took the elevator,
but some people took the stairs
and just posting a simple trivia question
can increase the number of people
who take the stairs by 10%.
Now 10% might not sound like a lot,
but imagine if you increase your leads
or prospects or sales by
10%, that'd be amazing.
Now before you get too excited,
let me warn you about the consequences
of misusing the power of curiosity.
If you've ever clicked on
one of these headlines,
then you know exactly
what I'm talking about.
Clickbait.
By the way clickbait is
not a new phenomenon,
in fact it's been around as long
as we've been printing newspapers.
Yes, platforms like BuzzFeed and UpWorthy
have built their entire
businesses on the idea
that they can make money
by taking advantage of our curiosity gap.
But here's the thing,
so often the pay-off didn't
match the expectation
set by the headline and you
walked away feeling cheated
and manipulated and dirty.
That's why your pay-off
must be proportional
to the void you create
when you're manufacturing a curiosity gap.
So, what's the answer
to our trivia question?
Well, it's right up there.
But before I show you the answer,
maybe it's time to embrace
the power of the curiosity gap
and instead of using it to
undermine the relationship
we have with our audience,
let's use it for good.
Let's use it to tell better
stories and foster deeper trust.
Let's use it to ask the right questions.
Let's use it to make the
world a better place.
Just like this little trivia question
got me to climb those stairs,
let's use our marketing
for good instead of evil.
Do you know of a great brand
that's leveraging the curiosity gap
for good instead of evil?
Well, please share it
in the comments below,
like the video if you enjoyed this
and don't forget to subscribe
so you don't miss next week's.
In the meantime, I'll see
you on my Loyalty Loop.
(sighs) I know, you're still here
and you wanna know what the answer is
to that trivia question,
well here you go.
(upbeat music)