What 1980s text adventures knew about curiosity

“You wake up. The room is spinning very gently around your head. Or at least it would be if you could see it, which you can’t.

It is pitch black.”

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These are the opening lines of a classic computer text adventure (bonus points if you can identify which one). Despite a lack of fancy graphics or a UI that let you do anything other than type, the game is fondly remembered. Why? Because it taps into something primal in human beings:

Curiosity.

It doesn’t give you much. It forces your involvement right away. Often these days, when we’re presenting research, we’re doing so online, yet most presentations still resemble the ‘can you hear me at the back’ style of in-person public speaking.

Might there be a better way to do it?

The best research in the world won’t do much if its findings are never tested on real humans. Business wants research, yet the people providing it are not necessarily the most confident at presenting the findings. It’s a universal challenge—so pervasive that the fear of public speaking has become its own academic discipline.

How can we reduce anxiety around public speaking and tap into our audience’s natural curiosity?

Curiosity, Information Gaps, and the Utility of Knowledge by Russell Golman and George Loewenstein explores the the human desire to obtain or avoid information. Their work, using an information-gap framework, delves into the motivations behind our pursuit of knowledge, extending beyond the traditional view of information solely aiding decision-making. Here are the key takeaways:

We have diverse motivations for seeking information

Beyond its utility for making informed decisions, individuals are driven by curiosity—the intrinsic desire for knowledge for its own sake—and the motivation to seek information that is enjoyable to think about while avoiding discomforting content (termed the “ostrich effect”). Understand your audience, why they’re taking time from their day to listen to you, and how you could reward their attention by helping them.

By making the process more collaborative, a pre-research briefing between business stakeholders and research could draw up a roadmap from the current barriers to sales, and how business might address these. Like a Dungeons & Dragons adventuring party, when these two groups bring their skillsets together to establish a roadmap, the research process becomes something shared.

Information gaps and curiosity

The desire for information is often sparked by curiosity to fill “information gaps” between what is known and unknown. This gap prompts a feeling of deprivation, pushing individuals to seek knowledge to close the gap. There are a range of techniques that play on this curiosity sweet spot.

Use ‘but’ to present problems and the solutions your research provides. Ramona J. Smith, the 2018 World Champion of Public Speaking, recommends using storytelling tricks to enhance curiosity. In particular, authenticity, preparation, vocal variety, and effective body language.

Utility and cognitive states

The information gap model stresses that utility is derived not just from material outcomes but also from cognitive states, influenced by the attention allocated to different questions and potential answers. Bad news delivered with a kernel of hope, or at least a direction going forward, might send an audience away inspired. So structuring your argument is key.

Instrumental value vs. curiosity

Traditional economic models emphasise the value of information for decision-making. Golman and Loewenstein highlight the significance of curiosity as a separate, powerful motive for information acquisition, independent of its practical utility. You don’t need to give your audience all the answers. Just inspire them to move in the right direction by making them agents in the process with responsibility for the solutions.

Curiosity’s dynamics

Curiosity is not just about seeking useful information but is often driven by the attraction to the unknown itself. The intensity of curiosity can vary based on the importance, salience, and potential epiphany offered by the information.

There’s a complex interplay of factors that govern our desire for information, and this model challenges conventional notions by emphasising the psychological underpinnings and utility implications of curiosity and information avoidance.

By better understanding the process of curiosity, we might be able to engineer presentations that engage the audience as solution architects before the presentation is even finished.