The Only Skill that Matters: The Proven Methodology to Read Faster, Remember More, and Become a SuperLearner

by Jonathan A. Levi

But another possible reason that breaks are so beneficial is what psychologists call the “Zeigarnik effect.” This effect states that our brains can better remember and retain things that are unfinished or incomplete. The effect was first described by psychologist Bluma Zeigarnik. As the story goes, Zeigarnik’s professor noticed that a waiter seemed to have an easier time remembering unpaid orders. After the order had been paid and closed out, the knowledge seemed to disappear. Fortunately, as she and her colleagues discovered, this has practical uses too. By leaving things “unfinished,” even if temporarily, we can enhance our own memory of them. Studies have shown that students who suspend their learning to do something unrelated actually remember better than those who don’t.