Attention vs. Information
Brands respond to shrinking attention by adding more — more detail, more claims, more reasons to care. This study tests that instinct and finds it backwards: past a very low threshold, every addition of information reduces the attention it receives.
Attention peaks early, then decays
Recall and engagement rose sharply up to a single clear idea, then declined with each added message. Three claims did not triple persuasion — they cut it nearly in half. The audience remembers the number of things you said, not the things.
Confidence reads as clarity
Sparse, declarative messages were rated as more trustworthy than detailed, qualified ones — even when the detailed version was more accurate. Audiences read editing as confidence and hedging as doubt.
The exception: earned depth
Once someone chose to engage, depth became an asset. Long content performed well with audiences that had already stopped. Information is not the enemy — uninvited information is.