The Zeigarnik effect in psychology

Sometimes we have to leave this or that action unfinished for various reasons. Well, after that we can suffer at night, and this unfinished business will remind us again and again of annoying thoughts, even if this is the case itself and there is no need to finish it for one reason or another. This does not at all indicate a high degree of conscientiousness or something of the sort. The thing is that in the theory of modern Gestalt psychology there is such a thing as the Zeigarnik effect, which owes its name to the Soviet scientist BV Zeigarnik.

Who is she - Bluma Volfovna?

Blum was born in 1900 in the north-east of Russia, and throughout her childhood and youth nothing foreshadowed her high achievements in pathopsychology. At the age of 21, the girl got married and moved to Berlin, where she entered the institute.

And only during the visits to lectures she was thoroughly interested in the psychology of personality, as well as by the various processes that manifest themselves in the behavior of a person in case of a violation.

Surprisingly, the phenomenon, which will later be called "The Zeigarnik effect in psychology" and which will glorify Blum Wolfen, became an object of study in the doctor's works even in her student years and was the main theme of the thesis. Of course, throughout her life, Mrs. Zeygarnik made many discoveries, having worked as an assistant to Vygotsky in a psychoneurological clinic at the Institute of Experimental Medicine. However, her first work, studied and opened to the world at a young age, has become an indispensable contribution to the Gestalt psychology of the modern world.

Tandem Russian psychologist and Berlin waiter

As it was said before, the Zeigarnik effect was discovered by the lady doctor during her student years. In the courtyard were the 20s of the twentieth century, and young Blum was in those days undergoing internship with the pathologist Kurt Levine. One day a great doctor and a scientist decided to visit one of the German usual crowded cafes, inviting his practitioner Zeigarnik there. The effect of unfinished action as one of the laws of gestalt psychology originated in the head of the student on that day, but it happened for the following reasons.

When the waiter came, he did not write down a single word from the announced list of visitors' orders, but at the same time he did not forget anything, and after a while the dishes stood on the table. Surprised at the phenomenal abilities of the serviceman, Bluma Volfovna noted the extremely good memory of the waiter. However, he said that he never writes anything down. Then Zeigarnik asked the waiter to name what people ordered at the tables he had served earlier - and he could not fully remember the order, citing the crowded café.

The first tests in support of the phenomenon

Interested in this issue and looking for scientific confirmation, after some time Bluma Zeigarnik together with his girlfriend and classmate Maria Ovsyankina decided to conduct some experience.

In the experimental activities involved a certain group of people, to whom was set a goal in solving intellectual problems. At the same time some people managed to solve the problem completely, but others interrupted, not giving the opportunity to bring the matter to an end. As a result, after a few days the subjects were asked about the content of the tasks, and only those who did not manage to solve them until the end clearly remembered the terms of the assignments. This phenomenon is called the "Zeigarnik effect". Or, in a different way, the effect of an unfinished action.

The Zeigarnik effect, or How to use the principle of completion

Every psychological phenomenon has its practical application in everyday life, therefore, each of us often suffers from the effect of incomplete action, torturing ourselves with undesirable memories of this or that incident.

Nobody likes uncertainty. But in the modern world, many advertisers and marketers use the effect of unfinished action for the promotion of goods on web pages, and simply in television advertising.

How it works? If we are talking about advertising on web pages, then often on the banner are placed only the key phrases with an appeal to the consumer. However, they are composed in such a way that they seem unfinished. Therefore, users of Internet pages, unconsciously avoiding the effect of incompleteness, follow the link and receive new information. At the same time, the obtained data will be assimilated much better, since the principle of completion has taken place.

And now you ask: and why some television advertising is constantly turning in the memory? And we will answer: it is for the same reason that the effect of incompleteness. Often, from the screens we get the appeals of producers, a certain dialogue with the viewer, which necessarily contains a question, which, in fact, is most memorized.

The phenomenon of incompleteness in love

Often, we can not forget about this or that person with whom they had romantic or friendly relations, justifying themselves and choosing various psychological effects to justify themselves. The Zeigarnik effect can explain a lot of misery on the non-established relationships, especially if there was no explicit separation and separation of property between partners.

Therefore, it is strongly recommended not to part with the former lover on the phone or the Internet. The injured party can not fully realize that everything is over, and this phenomenon of incompleteness will lurk in the subconscious of the person, not letting go of the image of the former lover.

The same is true for relationships that are destroyed because of the sudden distance between people. For example, if one of the halves leaves to work in another city and gradually disaccustoms from a loved one, there must necessarily be a fact of parting at a personal meeting. Otherwise, such a "silent" gap can be painfully affected by the subconsciousness of the affected party.

How to recognize the Zeigarnik effect in yourself and how to deal with it?

After reading this article, some of you may have begun to wonder, but does not spoil your life with this very effect of unfinished action? Let's try to figure it out.

The fact is that there are some symptoms, like the most real disease, which point to the constant cyclical principles of incompleteness in your life:

• If you feel a constant alarm, despite the cohesion of life, good work and family;
• If your personal life does not add up again and again for reasons you do not understand;
• If you often come up with yourself the continuation of certain words of the interlocutor;
• If you feel that you are increasingly attacking the same rake.

The above symptoms are not at all signs of ordinary life failures. All problems lie within the person himself. You just need to open your eyes to the sometimes very painful truth and rethink the incomplete situations that have unfolded.

And no treatment is not necessary, and it is not necessary to look for old acquaintances and complete unfinished business. Just comprehend for yourself that it's been a long time already, and it's time to let go of the situation, you do not need to justify or pardon someone. You'll see - it will be easier to live. Just let it go.