The Zeigarnik Effect

Summary. Have you ever noticed that an unfinished business or incomplete activity holds a privileged place in memory? Are you haunted by unfulfilled goals? Do you recall what you haven't achieved more than what you have? This subtle mental tug, or more rightly an itch of the unfinished, is the Zeigarnik Effect, a fascinating psychological phenomenon that explains why incomplete tasks tend to occupy your mind more persistently than the ones you have completed.