Zeigarnik

Zeigarnik is a term derived from the Zeigarnik effect, a psychological phenomenon named after Russian psychologist Bluma Zeigarnik. The effect describes the tendency for people to remember uncompleted or interrupted tasks better than completed ones. Zeigarnik's research, conducted in the 1920s, observed that waiters were able to recall complex orders as long as the bills remained unpaid, but once the payment was settled, the details of the order would fade from their memory. This observation led to the formulation of the Zeigarnik effect, suggesting that the tension created by an unfulfilled goal or task motivates us to keep it in our minds until it is resolved. This effect has implications in various fields, including education, marketing, and therapy, where understanding memory and motivation is crucial. For instance, in education, leaving a lesson with a lingering question or an unresolved problem can enhance learning retention. In marketing, cliffhangers in advertisements or product descriptions can encourage engagement by leaving consumers anticipating a resolution. The underlying mechanism is thought to be an increase in cognitive arousal associated with unfinished tasks, which keeps them more accessible in memory.