Filter Coffee #131

On the Zeigarnik Effect

FC # 130 was commented upon by some readers who shared their perspective on the ‘person in the corner’.

• Radhakrishna says: “In our daily life, we encounter tricky situations and look for that person in our corner who can provide solace. Some paint themselves into a corner, and some corner others. Shylock and Portia are good examples. By demanding that pound of flesh, Shylock painted himself into a corner, and he realizes that when Portia challenges him to take it but not a drop of blood more. The person in my corner is my wife, but right now she is watching me from the corner of her eyes wondering what I am up to.”

• Karthik says: “Fantastic topic and a great connection between boxing and real life!!

• There are bouts in life where one might give up, and most of the time it would be the person in the corner who would get you to rise and fight again, ensuring you are better prepared. Parents, spouses, and immediate family are all apt persons in our corner without whom bouts in life are impossible to tackle. Thank you so much for being in my son's and my corner all the time as a coach, a mentor, and most importantly a father figure!! 🙏”

• Swathi Belur says: “Well, of course, the man in my corner is my hubby! How can I forget my mom, the pillar in my corner? The gentle support and guidance and the love she showers on her grandkids! I am truly blessed to have her in my life! Thanks, P, you are the guy in our family’s corner! We ask you for advice regarding so many issues!”

• Krupa Murthy says: “Hats off to you once again for the ever-aromatic and weekly dose of your brilliant Filter Coffee. My comfort zone or the man in my corner is my husband. Our marriage has stood the test of time for 53 years because my soulmate has always been ‘a grey head on green shoulders.’ I am what I am today, as he has always walked the talk.”

• Mani says: “Nice one. Thanks to you, the man in the corner, for the family. 👏”

✅ The Zeigarnik Effect

I thought of writing on this subject after Prabha Iyengar sent me a forward about it and encouraged me to share it with my readers. Of course, what I have done here is to give a distilled account of the Zeigarnik effect, and I hope you find it easy to understand and relate to it.

A Lithuanian-Soviet psychologist, Bluma Zeigarnik, was the enunciator of the “Zeigarnik Effect” which postulated that people tend to remember unfinished or incomplete tasks better than completed tasks.

Apparently, while sitting in a restaurant, she noticed that the waiters seemed to remember the undelivered orders but not the orders that had been delivered. Further studies have reinforced this phenomenon. We remember to finish an unfinished task more than a task that we have finished.

Take a simple example of a ‘to-do list’. We want to pay a bill, call on someone sick, go to a lunch meeting, and so on. Once the bill is paid, you may not remember the exact amount you paid or the ward number and the hospital you visited or what was served for lunch. It is quite possible you may forget to pay on time and regret not visiting the hospital when you know that the patient has died, or even forget that lunch meeting.

The Zeigarnik effect does not mean that you will remember every unfinished task, but the probability of remembering an unfinished task is far higher than a finished task. Similarly, the Zeigarnik effect may well be observed in the manner in which people avoid procrastination and also in people who make a conscious effort to remember things to do.

On the flip side, people may find a task daunting, requiring strenuous efforts and much time to complete that task but in the end, may not complete it at all. However, that does not undermine the fact that an unfinished task was on the mind of people — they simply were not minded to complete it for various reasons.

For example, let’s say you went on a trip and bungee jumping was on your mind, but then after observing the free fall you developed cold feet and gave up. Yet, that remains on your mind as an unfinished task, and perhaps you will be determined to take the jump the next time over.

At home, we can put this to test. You have to fix a tap, your wife has to buy groceries, your son has a match coming up, and your daughter has an assignment to complete. Each of these unfinished tasks has an incentive or a consequence. If you don’t fix the tap it may flood the area, and if there are no groceries you don’t get to eat. If your son misses the match, he may lose his place on the team and your daughter’s grades may go down if the assignment is not submitted on time.

Do these instances undermine the Zeigarnik effect? I would say not. Remembering an unfinished task is the key. To my mind, the consequence of leaving it unfinished or finishing it out of fear of the consequences is immaterial.

Understanding the Zeigarnik effect helps people realize that procrastination results in unfinished tasks playing on people’s minds and if they miss out on the time and place when it must be completed, regret sets in.

In my case, the Zeigarnik effect does have an influence on me not because I remember the unfinished tasks but because I am reminded of them by my wife who experiences the Zeigarnik effect on the rebound. It is not just me, there are many who need to be reminded of unfinished tasks by someone else. When it comes to watching a TV serial, we are eager to resume watching and may well remind each other!!

If certain actions or filings are mandated by law, they are unlikely to be forgotten for fear of some penalty. People take care to attend to those tasks timely. There are some guys who carelessly miss the deadline and nonchalantly proclaim that they paid a small late fee for the delayed filling.

Reading a book is another interesting case study. I have seen people reading non-fiction, and they hate to put the book down. I read fiction in the same manner, and I am eager to finish it.

Interestingly, you are involved with the character, the places, and other details in a book, and each time you resume reading you make an effort to remember all of them for the sake of continuity. Once that book is cast away after reading, it is quite possible that you forget all the characters and sometimes the Title of the Book itself.

I am interested in solving the Sunday crossword puzzle. It lies on my bedside table and every night I try to get a couple of clues right, but it remains incomplete. This is clearly an unfinished task for me and I must complete the grid even if I have to look at the solutions in next Sunday issue.

The Zeigarnik effect is about more than remembering unfinished tasks. It can be put to use to overcome memory lapses. Forgetting something is natural, but when something or someone reminds you of an unfinished task, chances are that you would like to complete it.

At times, though you realize that there are unfinished tasks, you don’t make an attempt to complete them. There could be many reasons. You give up reading a book or watching a movie because it is boring. You try hard to solve the Rubik’s Cube and give up in frustration. You skip a sum in your maths paper because it is difficult. Sometimes you don’t complete a task because it is not rewarding. But these are experiences that keep reminding you of the tasks that you left unfinished, and they linger in your memory.

The Zeigarnik effect can help you with learning and memory to overcome procrastination. More importantly, unfinished tasks can play on your mind and affect your mental health. Remembering and finishing unfinished tasks calms the mind. In fact, unfinished tasks can lead to anxiety, stress, and sleeplessness. Mark Twain's quote on procrastination: “Never put off till tomorrow what may be done the day after tomorrow.” 

The Zeigarnik effect has negative & positive effects. Completing tasks increases self-esteem and a sense of accomplishment. The negative effects can cause stress and anxiety due to persistent thoughts of incomplete tasks. However, each time you finish an unfinished job, it can leave you with a great sense of accomplishment and improved self-worth.

Now to end in a lighter vein:

Wife: “You’re such a procrastinator”

Husband: “I am not, and one of these days I will prove it.”

I believe there is a group called ‘Procrastinators Anonymous’. I think I will join them, but sometime next month.

I hope you enjoyed reading this. Please do take good care of yourself. Ciao.