Zeigarnik效应和记忆概述

你有没有发现自己因未完成工作的侵入性思想而被打断？也许他们是一个部分完成的工作项目，让您在晚上或绘制一部半读小说的情节，这让您的思想圈出来。有一个原因是为什么难以停止思考未完成和中断的任务。心理学家将此称为Zeigarnik效应，或者更好地记住未完成任务的趋势。

蔡格尼克记忆效应

When you start working on something but do not finish it, thoughts of the unfinished work continue to pop into your mind even when you've moved on to other things. Such thoughts urge you to go back and finish the thing you have already begun. It's why you keep thinking about that page-turner. Or why you want to finish playing a video game until you win. Unfinished work continues to exert an influence, even when we try to move on to other things.

肥皂剧和连续剧也利用了这种效果。这一集可能会结束，但故事还没有结束。悬崖勒马让观众急于了解更多，多亏了Zeigarnik效应，他们下次会记得收看，看看会发生什么。

在学校时，您可能也经历过这种效果。在考试之前，您可能对您正在学习的信息非常好。然而，考试后，学生们常常难以记住他们所研究的所有事情。因为您不再有直接用作它，所以信息有时会感觉到它已被冲出到您的内存中。

How Was It Discovered?

首先由一个名为Bluma Zegigarnik的俄罗斯心理学家，这是一个有影响力的理论家的学生Kurt Lewin.。虽然坐在维也纳的一家繁忙的餐厅，但她指出，服务员对无偿订单有更好的回忆。但是，一旦账单支付，服务员难以记住订单的确切细节。

Zeigarnik的研究

In aseries of experiments, participants were asked to complete simple tasks such as placing beads on a string, putting together puzzles, or solving math problems. Half of the participants were interrupted partway through these tasks.

在一个小时的延迟之后，Zeigarnik要求参与者描述他们一直在做什么。她发现那些工作被打断的人记住他们正在做什么的可能性是那些实际完成任务的人的两倍。

在另一个版本的实验中，她发现成年参与者能够记住未完成任务的频率比他们记住已完成任务的频率高90%。在1927年发表的一篇题为“关于完成的和未完成的任务”的论文中描述了Zeigarnik的初步研究。

进一步的研究探索效果

During the 1960s, memory researcher John Baddeley further explored these findings in an experiment. Participants were given a limited period of time to solve a set of anagrams. When they could not solve the anagram before the time was up, they were given the word answer.

后来，当参与者被要求回忆字谜中的单词时，他们表现出对自己所读单词的更好记忆notsolved. This supports Zeigarnik's finding that people have a better memory for unfinished or interrupted information.

矛盾研究

然而，并非所有研究都发现支持效果。一些研究未能显示相同的效果，其他研究人员发现有各种各样的因素可以影响效果的强度。例如，研究表明motivationcan play a major role in how well people remember information.

它是如何工作的？

Short-term memory容量和持续时间都有限。通常情况下，我们只能设法在内存中保留这么多东西，即使这样，我们也需要不断地排练这些信息，以便保留下来。这需要相当多的脑力劳动。不足为奇的是，你越是试图在短期内保持你的记忆，你就越难让它保持不变。

例如，服务员必须记住他们所服务的桌子的很多细节。关于人们点了什么以及喝了什么的信息需要留在他们的记忆中，直到顾客吃完饭。

但这种效果不仅仅在短期内影响内存。未完成的任务，例如我们仍然必须达到的目标可以在延长的一段时间内继续侵入我们的思想。

Zeigarnik效应揭示了很多关于记忆的工作原理。Once information is perceived, it is often stored in sensory memory for a very brief time. When we pay attention to information, it moves into short-term memory. Many of these short-term memories are forgotten fairly quickly, but through the process of active rehearsal, some of this information is able to move into长期记忆。

Zeigarnik suggested that failing to complete a task creates underlying cognitive tension. This results in greater mental effort and rehearsal in order to keep the task at the forefront of awareness. Once completed, the mind is then able to let go of these efforts.

How to Make the Most of It

不仅仅是一个有趣的观察人体大脑如何运作Zeigarnik效应实际上会影响你的日常生活。你甚至可以利用这种心理现象为自己谋利。

常识可能会告诉你，完成任务是接近目标的最佳方式。Zeigarnik效果改为建议在任务期间被中断是提高您记住信息的能力的有效策略。

Get More Out of Your Study Sessions

• 如果您正在学习考试，请分解您的学习课程，而不是尝试在测试前一天晚上全部克切。通过以增量学习信息，您将更有可能在测试日之前记住。
• 如果您正在努力记住一些重要的东西，那么瞬间中断可能实际上适用于您的优势。而不是简单地重复一遍又一遍地重复信息，而不是几次审查它，然后休息一下。虽然你专注于其他东西，但你会发现自己在精神上返回你正在学习的信息。

Overcome Procrastination

• Oftentimes, we put off tasks until the last moment, only completing them in a frenzied rush at the last possible moment in order to meet a deadline. Unfortunately, this tendency can not only lead to a great deal of stress, but it can also result in poor performance.
• 克服困难的一种方法procrastination就是让Zeigarnik效应发挥作用。从迈出第一步开始，不管有多小。一旦你已经开始但还没有完成你的工作，你会发现自己一直在思考这个任务，直到最后你完成它。你可能不可能一下子完成所有的事情，但是每迈出一小步，你就离最终目标更近了。
• 这种方法不仅有助于激励你完成任务，而且一旦你最终完成了一项工作，并且能够将你的精神能量运用到其他地方，它也会给你带来成就感。

引起兴趣和注意

• 广告商和营销人员也利用Zeigarnik效应来鼓励消费者购买产品。例如，电影制作人制作电影预告片的目的是通过忽略关键细节来吸引眼球。它们吸引了观众的注意力，却让人们想要更多。为了获得所有的细节，人们必须冒险到票房或购买电影一旦在家发行。
• Television programs also make use of this strategy. Episodes often end during a moment of high action, leaving the fate of characters or the outcome of the situation unresolved. In order to resolve the tension created by such cliffhanger endings, viewers have to remember to tune in for the next episode to find out what happens.

Promote Mental Well-Being

• As you might imagine, the Zeigarnik effect is not necessarily always beneficial. When you fail to complete tasks, they can prey on your mind, intruding on your thoughts and creating stress. These invasive thoughts can lead to feelings of anxiety and contribute to sleep disturbances.
• 不过，这种效果也可以在克服这些困难方面发挥作用。反复思考可以激励人们完成他们已经开始的任务。完成这些任务可以带来成就感，自尊心, and self-confidence.

A Word From Verywell

The Zeigarnik effect began as a simple observation of how restaurant waiters deal with customer orders. Subsequent research has offered support to the idea that, at least in some instances, we have a tendency to better recall unfinished tasks than completed ones. While there are many factors that can influence the occurrence of the effect and its strength, you can utilize knowledge in a number of ways. By taking deliberate breaks while working on a project, you may find that you are able to better remember important details.