The Power of Unfinished Business

Understanding the Zeigarnik Effect - Issue #176

I hit wrong notes playing Lag Ja Gale Se. My teacher fixed my mistakes. No time to practice after class. That night the melody haunted me. My fingers tapped phantom keys in my sleep. The music refused to let go.

This experience has a name - the Zeigarnik Effect.

The Discovery

In the 1920s, psychologist Bluma Zeigarnik made an observation in a restaurant. S…