Memories of experiences are dominated by the most intense moment (peak) and the final moment (end), with duration largely ignored.
A vacation can be 'ruined' by a bad final day even if the previous week was wonderful. Conversely, ending a medical procedure with reduced pain (even if it extends duration) improves how patients remember it.
Longer pleasant experiences are always remembered as better—duration is largely ignored if the peak and ending are similar.
Thinking, Fast and Slow
Daniel Kahneman
The remembering self largely ignores how long an experience lasted when evaluating it, focusing instead on peak intensity and ending.
The experiencing self lives through moments in real-time; the remembering self evaluates episodes based on memory and makes future decisions.
The experiencing self lives through moments in real-time; the remembering self evaluates episodes based on memory and makes future decisions.
The remembering self largely ignores how long an experience lasted when evaluating it, focusing instead on peak intensity and ending.
In the colonoscopy study, why did patients prefer the longer procedure with less pain at the end?
You're designing a customer service experience. How would you apply the peak-end rule to maximize customer satisfaction?