The Zeigarnik effect was named after its discoverer, female psychologist Bluma Zeigarnik. She proved that unfinished things give a person internal tension, which forces him to constantly remember these things and mentally return to them again and again.
Psychology - the effect of unfinished action (Zeigarnik)
In the 1920s successful psychologist Bluma Zeigarnik became the discoverer of this amazing effect. Like many discoveries, it was discovered suddenly when a waiter in a cafe remembered a very large order without writing it down.
Zeigarnik talked to the waiter, and he replied that he remembers all the unfulfilled orders, and completely forgets all those that he has already completed. This made it possible to make the assumption that a person perceives completed and unfinished tasks differently, since this also changes the status of significance.
Next, a series of experiments were carried out. Students were offered intellectual tasks. While solving some of them, the researcher said that time was up. A few days later, students were asked to recall the conditions of all problems. It turned out that those tasks that were not completed pop up twice as efficiently! This is the effect of unfinished action, or the Zeigarnik phenomenon.
Starting a task creates tension, and it only releases when the action is completed. Such tension constantly seeks to be relieved: people are uncomfortable in a state of incompleteness, and comfortable when the matter is over.
The effect of unfinished action in love
In life, the effect of an unfinished action can be very complex and very painful for those who are faced with it. 
Let's look at an example and find out how best to proceed.
For example, a girl falls in love with a guy, she is 18 years old. They spend only 10 days together, and then he moves far away and the relationship breaks down. Since then, they never saw each other again, only occasionally corresponded, but she remembers him both 5 and 7 years later. Despite the fact that she has a man and serious relationship, she cannot mentally let go of that situation.
In this situation, you need to determine what would be completion. For example, meeting that person, talking, discovering that he is in life and he is in dreams - these are two different people. Or mentally complete the situation by imagining what would have happened if everything had turned out differently. Each specific case can be analyzed by a psychologist who can help guide you in the right direction.
The Zeigarnik effect was named after its discoverer, female psychologist Bluma Zeigarnik. She proved that unfinished things give a person internal tension, which forces him to constantly remember these things and mentally return to them again and again.
Psychology - the effect of unfinished action (Zeigarnik)
In the 1920s, successful psychologist Bluma Zeigarnik became the discoverer of this amazing effect. Like many discoveries, it was discovered suddenly when a waiter in a cafe remembered a very large order without writing it down.
Zeigarnik talked to the waiter, and he replied that he remembers all the unfulfilled orders, and completely forgets all those that he has already completed. This made it possible to make the assumption that a person perceives completed and unfinished tasks differently, since this also changes the status of significance.
Next, a series of experiments were carried out. Students were offered intellectual tasks. While solving some of them, the researcher said that time was up. A few days later, students were asked to recall the conditions of all problems. It turned out that those tasks that were not completed come to mind twice as efficiently! This is the effect of unfinished action, or the Zeigarnik phenomenon.
Starting a task creates tension, and it only releases when the action is completed. Such tension constantly seeks to be relieved: people are uncomfortable in a state of incompleteness, and comfortable when the matter is over.
The effect of unfinished action in love
In life, the effect of an unfinished action can be very complex and very painful for those who are faced with it. 
Let's look at an example and find out how best to proceed.
For example, a girl falls in love with a guy, she is 18 years old. They spend only 10 days together, and then he moves far away and the relationship breaks down. Since then, they never saw each other again, only occasionally corresponded, but she remembers him both 5 and 7 years later. Despite the fact that she has a man and a serious relationship, she cannot mentally let go of that situation.
In this situation, you need to determine what would be completion. For example, meeting that person, talking, discovering that he in life and he in dreams are two different people. Or mentally complete the situation by imagining what would have happened if everything had turned out differently. Each specific case can be analyzed by a psychologist who will help direct thoughts in the right direction.
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ZEYGARNIK EFFECT
Discovered in 1927 by Bluma Wulfovna Zeigarnik during an internship in Berlin with Kurt Lewin / K. Lewin. The essence of the effect is that a person better remembers an action that was left unfinished... “According to legend, one day Bluma went into a cafe with her teacher. Her attention was drawn to the fact that the waiter, having accepted the order, did not write down anything, although the list of ordered dishes was extensive, and brought everything to the table without forgetting anything. When remarked about his amazing memory, he shrugged, saying that he never writes down and never forgets. Then the psychologists asked him to say what the visitors he had served before them and who had just left the cafe had chosen from the menu. The waiter was confused and admitted that he could not remember their order in any detail. Soon the idea arose to test experimentally how the completion or incompleteness of an action affects memorization. This work was done by B.V. Zeigarnik.
The Zeigarnik effect or how to use the completion principle
She asked the subjects for limited time solve intellectual problems. She determined the solution time arbitrarily, so she could allow the subject to find a solution or at any moment declare that the time had expired and the problem had not been solved. After several days, the subjects were asked to recall the conditions of the problems that were offered to them for solution. It turned out that if the solution to a problem is interrupted, it is remembered better compared to problems that were successfully solved. The number of remembered interrupted tasks is approximately twice as large as the number of remembered completed tasks. This pattern is called the “Zeigarnik effect.” Stepanov S. S., Popular psychological encyclopedia, M., “Eksmo”, 2005, p. 245-246.
Source: Living Dictionary of a Business Coach
The essence of the Zeigarnik effect in psychology. Results of studies of psychological characteristics of human memory and their relationship with behavior. The connection between tension from unfinished tasks and the psychological state of the individual. Modern application of the discovery.
Zeigarnik effect
Essence
The Zeigarnik effect is a psychological effect in which a person remembers material associated with some unfinished actions better than with completed ones.
From the point of view of Kurt Lewin's Field Theory, this is explained by the fact that access to memory traces is facilitated by maintaining the tension that arises at the beginning of the action and is not completely discharged when it is not completely completed.
The pattern was revealed by Bluma Vulfovna Zeigarnik. It is noteworthy that research in this area was the topic of the author’s thesis.
Biography of B.V. Zeigarnik
Bluma Vulfovna Zeigarnik (German: Bluma Zeigarnik; November 9, 1900, Preny, Kovno province - February 24, 1988, Moscow) - Soviet psychologist, founder of Russian pathopsychology.
The result of Zeigarnik’s thesis work, carried out under the supervision of Kurt Lewin at the University of Berlin, is widely known, where she showed that unfinished actions are remembered better than completed ones (“Zeigarnik effect”). Since 1931, she worked in the psychoneurological clinic of the All-Union Institute of Experimental Medicine under the leadership of L.S. Vygotsky.
Zeigarnik is one of the founders of the Faculty of Psychology of Moscow State University, the Department of Neuro- and Pathopsychology.
Outstanding contribution of Bluma Zeigarnik to the development psychological problems was appreciated by the American Psychological Association, which awarded her the Kurt Lewin Prize (1983). In the USSR she was awarded the Lomonosov 1st prize degrees (1978).
Bluma Vulfovna Zeigarnik was born on November 9, 1900 in Preny, Kovno province, and graduated from high school there.
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1. Zeigarnik effect.
2. Memoirs of B.V. Zeigarnik about his youth.
3. Years of work with K. Levin.
4. Time of difficult trials for B.V. Zeigarnik.
5. Scientific activity of Bluma Vulfovna.
6. Creation of scientific foundations of pathopsychology.
7. The inner world of Zeigarnik.
8. Practical activities of B.V. Zeigarnik.
9. The mystery of the personality phenomenon B.V. Zeigarnik.
10. Bibliography.
1.Zeigarnik effect .
In 1927 At the Department of Psychology, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Berlin, she defended her graduate work. The leader is the already famous psychologist Kurt Lewin. Topic – “On memorizing completed and unfinished actions", and the name of the diploma student is Bluma Vulfovna Zeigarnik. The work shows that unfinished actions are remembered almost 2 times better than completed ones; the basis of this phenomenon, as was proven in the study, is an actual need (quasi-need, according to K. Levin). Bluma Vulfovna herself recalled that the next morning after defending her diploma, K. Levin called her and said, “Do you know what you’ve done? you have committed scientific discovery" And indeed it is. The phenomenon of preferential memorization of unfinished actions described by Blumov Vulfova entered the world scientific psychological literature under her name - the Zeigarnik phenomenon, or the Zeigarnik effect. Diploma student of K. Levin, one of the brightest representatives of the famous galaxy of his students who made up the pride of world psychology (it’s enough just to name their names - F. Hoppe, M. Yuknat, T. Dembo, G. Birenbaum, etc.), B.V. Zeigarnik became famous, and her name was immediately considered one of the classics of world psychology.
Personality B.V. Zeigarnik - the brightest psychological phenomenon, listening to special study. The life of B.V. Zeigarnik, her creative scientific and clinical activities are worthy of admiration and can become a role model. We hope that these somewhat sketchy notes will allow us to restore the living image of B.V. Zeigarnik.
2. Memoirs of B.V. Zeigarnik about his youth .
B.V. Zeigarnik lived a long and difficult life. She was born on November 9, 1900 in the small Lithuanian town of Prienai into a large friendly family. The atmosphere that reigned in the family can now be judged only by some of the remarks of Bluma Vulfovna herself, who recalled her father, his common sense, intelligence and inexhaustible sense of humor. Perhaps the work of Sholom Aleichem can provide some insight into the concept of benevolent irony that was constantly present in the family. A lively and capable girl successfully graduated from high school and went to study at the University of Berlin. Here, after a short “trial” training on several humanities faculties She entered the psychology department of the Faculty of Philosophy. At the University of Berlin B.V. Zeigarnik listened to lectures by famous psychologists - V. Koehler, M. Wertheimer and others. She attended lectures on philosophy, philology, and mathematics. Listened to lectures by A. Einstein. The topic of his lectures, she later recalled, did not captivate her, but the very personality of the lecturer attracted her with his creative originality, the mystery of his brilliant mind and bright character.
3. Years of work with K. Levin .
Bluma Vulfovna with her interest in inner world pretty soon I found myself a psychology teacher. It was K. Levin. In those years he psychological theory was still in its infancy. K. Levin himself, not much older than his students, was for them not only a teacher, but a like-minded friend. B.V. Zeigarnik recalled that communication with K. Levin differed in style from what was accepted in scientific and academic circles of that time. A man with a sociable, lively character, K. Levin involved his students in a special “search game,” often making direct everyday observations of people the subject of research. Thus, his seminars were often held in a cafe over a cup of coffee.
Zeigarnik effect
In particular, the very phenomenon of memorizing unfinished actions was “seen” by him precisely in this situation. He drew attention (B.V. recalled) to the fact that the waiter perfectly remembered the order of each visitor. K. Levin asked the waiter to name, without looking in the book, what this or that visitor ordered. The waiter, without hesitation, reproduced the contents of all orders. When it came to the visitors leaving the cafe, he could not name a single order. “They’ve already paid,” he replied. Consequently, Levin concludes, he no longer has the need to remember, the tense dynamic system - the quasi-need - has dried up. The ability to peer into everyday life, seeing deep psychological “roots” behind her little things, apparently, developed to a large extent in B.V. Zeigarnik precisely during the years of working with K. Levin; Throughout her later life, she refined these skills, drawing on observational data in her research work.
A special atmosphere of friendliness, mutual understanding, and camaraderie united his students around Levin and was a breeding ground for their joint creativity.
After defending her diploma, Bluma Vulfovna continued to work in Levin’s group, remaining in Berlin with her husband, an employee of the Soviet trade mission. Back in Soviet Union(apparently in 1931), she began working in the psychoneurological clinic of the Institute of Experimental Medicine, being L.S.’s closest assistant. Vygotsky. It was during these years that she became close to many leading Soviet psychologists, becoming their ally and like-minded person.
4. Time of difficult trials for B.V. Zeigarnik .
The 30s were a time of difficult trials for Bluma Vulfovna. A wave of repression was growing in the country. Premature death of L.S. Vygotsky, she believed, was accelerated by precisely these events. Bluma Vulfovna did not escape the trials either. In 1938, her husband was arrested, she was left alone with her young son, her second son was born shortly after her husband’s arrest. Fear, uncertainty about the future, and material insecurity settled in the Zeigarnik family for many years. Among the few friends who remained faithful to her during these difficult years were A.R. Luria, S.Ya. Rubinstein. Before last days life of Bluma Vulfovna S.Ya. Rubinstein remained her friend and ally. At that difficult time, Susanna Yakovlevna helped her in everything, supported her morally, accompanied her on “campaigns” to the Lubyanka to find out about the fate of her repressed husband (he died in the dungeons of the KGB). Bluma Vulfovna Was grateful to S.Ya. Rubenstein for friendly assistance, highly valued loyalty and responsiveness; She often repeated to her students, who grumbled about her difficult character: “You don’t know Susanna Yakovlevna. She true friend and a very good person."
5.Scientific activity of Bluma Vulfovna .
During the Great Patriotic War, having evacuated from Moscow, Bluma Vulfovna worked in the Urals at the Kisegach neurosurgical hospital, taking an active part in the restoration work mental activity seriously wounded. The results of these studies were subsequently published. During this period, her scientific and personal contacts with many of the country's largest psychologists strengthened - A.R. Luria, A.N. Leontiev, A.V. Zaporozhets, S.G. Gellerstein and others. B.V. Zeigarnik later recalled them with great warmth and love, noting that it was during this period, under the influence of communication with psychologists of the Vygotsky school, that her idea of pathopsychology as a special field of knowledge took shape.
In the post-war years, Bluma Vulfovna worked at the Research Institute of Psychiatry of the Ministry of Health of the RSFSR, where she headed the laboratory of experimental pathopsychology that she created (until 1967). During this period, many wonderful domestic psychiatrists became her scientific partners - M.Ya. Sereysky, S.G. Zhislin, I.G. Ravkin, G.E. Sukhareva, D.E. Melekhov and others. At this time of heavy ideological oppression, the increasing physiology of psychiatry (especially after the famous “Pavlovian session” of 1950), these clinicians of the old medical school not only remained faithful best traditions psychiatry of the past (which did not think efficient work with mentally ill people without psychology), but they supported and defended both Zeigarnik and her “young” laboratory. Especially reliable protection she felt from prof. D.E. Melekhov, who was the director of the Institute of Psychiatry during the period when he was preparing trial over “killer doctors.” It was he who helped save the laboratory, and kept her on the staff of the institute (although there had already been a decision to dismiss her). During these years, she conducted an extensive series of studies that became the scientific foundation of modern psychology.
At the same time, B.V. Zeigarnik began teaching a course in pathopsychology, first at the psychology department of the Faculty of Philosophy of Moscow State University, then (since 1966) at the psychology department. Since 1967, she became a professor at the Faculty of Psychology, where she carried on her work with enthusiasm until the last days of her life. Merits of B.V. Zeigarnik were awarded the Lomonosov Prize I degrees (1978) and international prize them. K. Levin (1983).
Bluma Vulfovna belonged to the generation that experienced several wars of unprecedented severity, Russian revolution with all of her social consequences, totalitarianism, repression. The wheel of history left deep marks (or rather, wounds) on her fate. This could not but leave an imprint on her personality and general attitude. What she was like in her youth, during the period of her work in Berlin with K. Levin, we will never know. There are no contemporaries or eyewitnesses left. Bluma Vulfovna herself (like many people of her generation, remembering this time) spoke little, sparingly, and reluctantly about herself. True, those who knew her in the early 30s, after returning from Germany (A.N. Leontiev, S.Ya. Rubenstein), recalled that she gave the impression of being brilliant (the word of A.N. Leontiev), cheerful , a talented person in everything.
We live in such a rhythm that sometimes it is difficult to find time for long tasks, so they constantly crawl from one list to another. How, in the end, can we tackle these constantly deferred tasks?
There is one method - the Zeigarnik effect.
One of the most simple ways overcome procrastination - use the Zeigarnik effect. This phenomenon was discovered by Russian psychologist Bluma Zeigarnik during dinner in a Viennese restaurant.
She noticed that busy waiters only remember orders that are in the process of being served, but once all the dishes are served, the order disappears from the staff's memory.
Later, to study this phenomenon, Zeigarnik asked a group of participants to perform a series of simple tasks in the laboratory, such as solving puzzles and stringing beads on a thread.
For some time, they were periodically interrupted from their studies, and then Zeigarnik asked what specific tasks they remembered best from their tasks.
During this experiment, a curious thing was discovered - people remember tasks from which they were torn away much better than those that they managed to finish.
So what does this have to do with procrastination?
The Zeigarnik effect suggests that interrupted action creates mental tension that keeps information in the forefront of memory. The only thing that can relieve this tension is finishing what you started.
Thus, this phenomenon suggests that any task started, no matter how big or small, remains in the depths of your consciousness until the moment of completion.
A simple technique often used on television: interrupting the transmission while it is interesting place guarantees that viewers will return to watch because they will want to know how it all ended, they will want to complete what they started.
The same thing happens with tasks that seem impossible. Just take the first step, and then everything will begin to move on its own.
In an interview with the British newspaper The Independent, a cognitive behavioral psychologist from London medical center The Blue Tree Clinic Hadassah Leipzig says the Zeigarnik effect is at play important role and in maintaining mental health.
Unfinished tasks and procrastination often lead to a cyclical and unhelpful way of thinking. This can affect sleep and cause anxiety, which further impacts a person's mental and emotional resources, says Leipzig. — When using the Zeigarnik effect on its own or in the context of cognitive behavioral therapy, this phenomenon can promote mental well-being, motivating you to finish what you started, develop healthy habits, setting goals and solving problems that are constantly put off for later. Successfully completing tasks will bring a sense of satisfaction, increasing self-esteem and confidence. In addition, a person who is able to find a way out stressful situations will probably be able to provide positive influence and on your psychological well-being.
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