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The Peak-End Rule is a psychological heuristic that explains how people remember experiences—not by averaging every moment, but by focusing primarily on:
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The most intense point (the peak—positive or negative), and
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The final moments (the end) of the experience.
This concept was developed by psychologist Daniel Kahneman and colleagues.
🧠 What It Means:
When we evaluate a past experience (like a hospital visit, vacation, or painful procedure), we don’t base our memory on the total duration or every detail, but rather on:
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Peak: The emotional high or low—e.g., the worst pain during a procedure or the best moment of a trip.
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End: How the experience concluded—calmly, painfully, abruptly, etc.
This applies to memories, not the actual experience in real time.
📍Examples:
👶 Pediatric Example:
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A child’s vaccine visit involves moderate discomfort, but the injection is the peak and the comforting reward or soothing at the end forms the end.
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If the visit ends with a smile, praise, or a sticker, the memory is likely less negative, even if the injection hurt.
🏥 Healthcare:
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Studies show patients rated colonoscopies with longer, less painful ends as less unpleasant—even if the overall procedure took longer.
🏖️ Vacation:
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A week-long trip with one thrilling adventure (peak) and a peaceful last day (end) will likely be remembered more fondly than a uniformly pleasant but unremarkable one.
🎯 Applications:
🩺 In Healthcare (e.g., for paediatricians):
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Make painful procedures end gently (e.g., distraction, rewards, soothing).
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Improve the final impression during visits (friendly goodbye, praise).
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Focus on positive peaks: e.g., successful milestones, shared laughter.
🧘 In Meditation or Wellness:
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Design sessions so they end calmly and positively.
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Use high points (like moments of deep focus or emotional insight) to create memorable sessions.
🧪 In Research or UX Design:
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Users remember apps, services, or tests more favorably if the peak moment is positive and the end experience is smooth.
🧩 Related Concept:
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Duration Neglect: People often ignore how long an experience lasted when recalling it. Only the peak and end really matter for memory.
Would you like an illustration of how the Peak-End Rule works in a patient journey or a worksheet to apply it in practice (e.g., in pediatric care or patient experience design)?
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