Why Unfinished Tasks Haunt Us?
Those dirty dishes are staring into your soul
Have you ever been engrossed in a TV series, only for the episode to end on a suspenseful cliffhanger? Or maybe you’ve begun assembling a complex piece of furniture, only to be interrupted part-way through? These scenarios might be more relatable than you think. The frustration, the suspense, and the nagging feeling of incompletion that lingers in your mind all ties back to a psychological phenomenon known as the Zeigarnik Effect.
We are looking at Day 19 of the series “30-Day UX Laws and Principles”, If you are yet to read the Day 18 part of the series, I highly recommend you read it. Today we will be exploring :
- What is the Zeigarnik Effect?
- The Zeigarnik Effect and User Experience (UX)
- Real-Life Brand Examples
- Difficulties and Limitations of the Zeigarnik Effect
What is the Zeigarnik Effect?
The Zeigarnik Effect, a psychological principle named after Soviet psychologist Bluma Zeigarnik, is a fascinating insight into our cognitive processes. This concept essentially suggests that people tend to remember unfinished or interrupted tasks better than those they’ve completed. But how did such an idea come about?
The inception of the Zeigarnik Effect was as humble as it was insightful. It all began in the 1920s in a bustling Viennese restaurant. Bluma Zeigarnik was enjoying a meal when she noticed something intriguing about the waiters. Despite the restaurant’s busy atmosphere and complex orders, the waitstaff could remember all the minute details of an order — down to the exact dish modifications and the corresponding table numbers. But, surprisingly, as soon as the order was served, their memory of it seemed to disappear entirely, like a chalk drawing washed away by the rain.
This observation sparked curiosity in Zeigarnik. She questioned,
“Why did completed tasks seem to be erased from memory, while incomplete ones remained?”
To find answers, she took this question to the laboratory for a controlled study. Zeigarnik asked participants to engage in a series of tasks such as puzzles and arithmetic problems, deliberately interrupting them during some tasks. Remarkably, the participants remembered the interrupted tasks about twice as much as the tasks they managed to complete.
Zeigarnik published her findings in 1927 in her doctoral thesis, “On Finished and Unfinished Tasks,” wherein she stated:
“It seems to be conclusive that unfinished tasks are actually much better remembered than the completed ones.”
This statement essentially encapsulated what we now know as the Zeigarnik Effect.
From there, the Zeigarnik Effect has become a staple in understanding human cognition, with ramifications in numerous fields from psychology to advertising to user experience design.
“Unfinished tasks don’t just occupy a prominent place in our memory, they also needle us with a constant sense of irritability and a vague but insistent urge to complete them.” — Zeigarnik.
This quote provides a perfect glimpse of the underlying principle that drives the Zeigarnik Effect.
To illustrate this, let’s consider the simple task of washing dishes. Say you are washing a sink full of dishes, and halfway through, you are interrupted by a phone call. Even after the call, the thought of the unfinished dishes would continue to occupy your mind, nudging you to return and complete the task. This psychological push to finish what was started is a classic manifestation of the Zeigarnik Effect.
The Zeigarnik Effect and User Experience (UX)
In the realm of User Experience (UX), the Zeigarnik Effect is a powerful tool. It helps designers craft experiences that stick in users’ minds and drive them towards action. Let’s dive deeper to see how this plays out in various scenarios.
One of the most prevalent areas where the Zeigarnik Effect is applied is in the field of online learning platforms. Picture this — you’re halfway through an intriguing online course, and you see a progress bar indicating that you’re just 50% done. This interrupted task looms large in your mind, thanks to our friend, the Zeigarnik Effect. The progress bar serves as a constant reminder of the unfinished task, creating a compelling urge to see it through. You are motivated to push forward to achieve that satisfying 100% completion, thus enhancing engagement and increasing the chances of course completion.
Consider the platform Coursera. They use this technique by displaying a progress bar for each course, and as you complete lectures, readings, and quizzes, you witness the bar inching toward completion. Additionally, it segments the course into weeks, with each week comprising a set of videos and quizzes. This design creates multiple levels of unfinished tasks, harnessing the Zeigarnik Effect to foster engagement and motivation.
Now, let’s take a leap from education to entertainment. The world of video gaming is another domain where the Zeigarnik Effect is used effectively to retain players and maintain high engagement levels. Games often have missions, quests, or levels for the player to complete. Each unfinished level lingers in the player’s mind, urging them to continue playing. Even if the player leaves the game, the knowledge of an incomplete task may draw them back.
A stellar example of the Zeigarnik Effect in the gaming world is the widely played mobile game “Clash of Clans.” In the game, players initiate upgrades on buildings and troops, which take real-world time to complete. A visible progress bar signifies the unfinished task, compelling players to return and check the progress. The inability to use the upgrading entity until completion creates a sense of urgency. This effective use of the Zeigarnik Effect contributes to the game’s captivating nature, keeping players continually engaged. So, the anticipation you feel while waiting for your Town Hall upgrade isn’t just excitement — it’s also a clever psychological trick.
Even simple mobile games like “Candy Crush Saga” use the Zeigarnik Effect. Each level you fail to complete sticks in your memory, making you more likely to revisit the game to finish the level and achieve that sweet victory.
Real- Life brand Examples
Companies across various sectors employ the Zeigarnik Effect in their strategies. For example, LinkedIn uses a “Profile Strength” feature, a circle that fills up as you add more information to your profile. This capitalizes on the Zeigarnik Effect, making users strive to achieve a “complete” profile.
Similarly, Duolingo, a language learning app, displays a ‘streak’ count and sends daily reminders to users to maintain their streak, creating a sense of unfinished business and hence, encouraging return usage.
Amazon, too, employs this principle. When you start watching a movie or a series on Amazon Prime and leave it midway, the platform reminds you to “Continue Watching,” subtly applying the Zeigarnik Effect to get you to finish what you started.
Difficulties and Limitations of the Zeigarnik Effect
While the Zeigarnik Effect is a powerful tool, it does have its limitations:
1. Overuse can lead to frustration: If a user is constantly bombarded with reminders of incomplete tasks, it can lead to annoyance and, in turn, decrease their engagement.
2. It’s not universally effective: Not everyone responds to the Zeigarnik Effect in the same way. Some people may find incompletion motivating, while others may feel overwhelmed.
3. Not applicable to all tasks: The Zeigarnik Effect tends to be more effective for tasks that require significant mental effort. It’s less likely to have an impact on mundane or routine tasks.
4. Negative experiences can counter the effect: If a user has a negative experience with the task, they may be less likely to complete it, even with the presence of the Zeigarnik Effect.
Wrapping Up
The Zeigarnik Effect is a compelling psychological principle that influences how we remember and engage with tasks. Its presence is evident in various aspects of our lives, from the media we consume to the user interfaces we interact with daily. As with any UX principle, its implementation should be thoughtful and balanced to provide the most benefit to users.
So the next time you find yourself eager to finish a task or hooked on a TV show because of a cliffhanger, remember — that’s the Zeigarnik Effect in action!
Written by: Inchara, kubo media team.
Check out: 30 Days of UX Laws and Principles
Check out Day 18: Postel’s Law
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