Art, Humanities and Technology

What baits audiences to click on a post, linger on a painting, or engage with a video? Bait theory studies these impulses across the arts, humanities, biology, and technology. Rooted in a combination of information theory and behavioral science, it explores the interaction between organisms, stimuli, and responses, seeking patterns in emotions, kinetics, and physiology. Historically, bait applications trace back to early communities where human connections relied on a "network of obligation:” individuals sharing resources and knowledge. Care and general aid thus play a significant role in bait theory.