What is the Zeigarnik effect?

What is the Zeigarnik effect? In short, it is the desire to complete unfinished things. Unfinished things are more memorable than completed things. The main reason for this is that the person needs to complete the situation. Also, our brain remembers unfinished situations more. Because the brain has selectivity for such situations.

Zeigarnik effect as an example; As long as a series you watch continues, you wonder about the next episode. If it was completely over, it would not stay in your mind in this way. When you are on a diet, if you eat a little bit of ice cream and stop, your mind is always on ice cream. In this way, this effect becomes very attractive. The desire to complete it arises in your brain.

How did the Zeigarnik Effect come about?

It was discovered by a Soviet psychologist named Bluma Zeigarnik as a result of observation in a restaurant. Bluma Zeigarnik noticed that waiters remembered the orders only during the service and completely erased them from their memory after completing the service. She conducted studies and many experiments on the subject. As a result of her studies, she discovered that unfinished, unfinished work occupies the mind and stays there. However, after the work is done, he realizes that he completely forgets it. This effect is also valid in our daily lives and in the events around us.

This psychological effect is used at the end of the series to say that it will continue. Until the next episode is filmed, one is curious and more excited than usual. It is done to give more pleasure. When the new episode is filmed and watched, there is a feeling of relief.

If you are in a relationship and the other person leaves for no reason, constantly thinking about it is an example of the zeigarnic effect. Of course, when you think about this relationship for a long time, after a while you suppress it and forget about it. However, it leaves a lot of impact at those times.

If there is a bad situation in your relationship, it is that a bad feature of the other person remains in your mind. To get rid of it, bring out that bad side of him/her and ask him/her to solve it. If it is resolved, it will not occupy your mind and you will move on in a more positive way. If you ignore it, it will constantly occupy your mind and you will tend to argue for no reason.

You can use this effect in a positive way. For example, if you can’t start something because it’s difficult, just take a step. Even if you do the smallest thing, it will stick in your mind and you will be inclined to complete it. Taking a step is enough to make it stick in your mind.