150 Zeigarnik Effect

A tendency to experience intrusive thoughts about a task that was interrupted or left incomplete.

• Proposed by Soviet psychiatrist and psychologist Bluma Zeigarnik.

• The unconscious mind seeks closure and completion, and preoccupies the conscious mind until it gets it. Accordingly, interrupted or incomplete tasks are better remembered than completed tasks.

• Once an interrupted task is completed, the recall benefits are lost. For example, waiters have better recall for in-process orders than served orders.

• The effect is strongest when people are highly motivated to complete a task.

• Apply the Zeigarnik effect to engage and maintain attention. For example, the “To be continued…” device is used in cliffhangers to keep people interested. Most importantly, never use the Zeigarnik effect to…

See Also Closure • Flow • Gamification • IKEA Effect

A never-ending series of puzzles leaves Tetris players shifting blocks in their dreams, a condition dubbed the Tetris Effect.