Made to Stick

A few years ago, Robert Cialdini: Cialdini wrote his article for psychology
professors, but it’s excellent advice for all teachers. See Robert B. Cialdini,
“What’s the Best Secret Device for Engaging Student Interest? The Answer Is
in the Title,” Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology 24 (2005): 22–29.
83
McKee says, “Curiosity”: Robert McKee, Story: Substance, Structure, Style
and the Principles of Screenwriting (New York: ReganBooks, 1997). McKee
also has good insight into the difference between gimmicky surprise and sur-
prise that leads to resolution in movies: “We can always shock filmgoers by
cutting to something it doesn’t expect to see or away from something it ex-
pects to continue.” But he says that “true surprise” happens when a legitimate
gap is suddenly revealed between what we expect and what actually happens.
264
N O T E S

---

The legitimacy comes from a rush of insight, revealing some truth that was
previously hidden.
84