How often do we underestimate how much we dislike an experience?
We suffer through a dreadful camping weekend or a long movie, only to find ourselves doing the same thing not long after. We seem to forget the agonizing boredom, or other discomfort that we experience.
The psychologist Daniel Kahneman explained this phenomenon with a famous experiment and a finding he called the Peak-End Effect.
Our recollection of a given experience is based on two factors:
- The maximum, or peak, level of pleasure or pain that we experience during the event
- The feeling of pleasure or pain at the end of the event
Notice how time and overall level of pleasure or pain aren’t included.
His experiment showcased this phenomenon by having participants put their hands in a ice water.
There were two scenarios:
- The participant submerged their hand in freezing water for 60 seconds
- The participant submerged their hand in freezing water for 60 seconds and then continued to keep his/her hand submerged while the water gradually warmed to be just uncomfortably cold rather than freezing
Intuitively, we’d prefer the first scenario. The second one is literally the exact same situation with more pain added to it.
But that’s not what Kahneman observed.
He saw that, when reflecting back on the experiences, participants repeatedly said they preferred the second scenario and that it was actually less painful.
So how’s that useful?
For one, it’s worth knowing how our memories trick us. We don’t necessarily remember things as they actually are.
Furthermore, we can use this to our advantage. If you’re planning a fun event, try to maximize the peak enjoyment and make sure you end on a high note. And if you have to schedule something less desirable, try to spread out the pain and gradually ease out of it before you finish.
It doesn’t “make sense,” but it’s how we’re wired.
-Brandon