What Does the Zeigarnik Effect Mean for Marketing?

Which are you more likely to remember:

A phone call that ended with you and the other person saying goodbye and ending the call, or a phone call that ended with you getting hung up on?

Most people would say getting hung up on is more memorable.

There are many reasons why you might remember someone abruptly ending a conversation, but our brains may be wired for it.  

There’s a psychological concept called the Zeigarnik effect.

The Zeigarnik effect suggests that people remember unfinished or uninterrupted tasks better than completed ones.

The phenomenon was first identified when researchers noticed waiters were better able to remember open tabs than paid checks. A related phenomenon, dubbed the Ovsiankina effect, suggests that humans feel an urge to finish tasks they’ve already started.

If Memory Serves

Scientists have struggled to repeat the findings in the original research around the Zeigarnik effect, but the Ovsiankina effect has been better validated.

We can all relate to the specifics of a task or conversation leaving our heads after its conclusion. And we all know that urge to “100%” a to-do list or keep your Wordle streak alive.

Marketers, designers, educators and others have put the principles to good use.

Every time you see a status bar tracking your progress as you fill out a form or get an email prompting you to return to your abandoned cart or finish a purchase, you’re seeing the effects of the Ovsiankina effect.

For communications pros, both concepts have value. Looking for audiences to remember your brand or a specific campaign? Leave some things open-ended to leverage the Zeigarnik effect. Want to drive conversions? Use the Ovsiankina effect show people their (incomplete) progress.