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Clearer Thinking Team

Peak-End Rule: Definition, Examples and Effects

The Peak-End Rule is a psychological phenomenon that has been studied extensively in the field of behavioral economics. It states that people tend to remember and evaluate experiences based on the most intense moments (the peak) and the end of the experience (the end). This rule has been found to have a significant impact on how people perceive and evaluate their experiences.


Definition: The Peak-End Rule is a psychological phenomenon that states that people tend to remember and evaluate experiences based on the most intense moments (the peak) and the end of the experience (the end).


Examples: The Peak-End Rule has been studied in a variety of contexts, including medical procedures, customer service experiences, and even vacations. For example, a study of medical procedures found that patients remembered and evaluated their experience based on the most painful moment (the peak) and the end of the procedure (the end). Similarly, a study of customer service experiences found that customers remembered and evaluated their experience based on the most positive moment (the peak) and the end of the interaction (the end).


Effects: The Peak-End Rule has been found to have a significant impact on how people perceive and evaluate their experiences. For example, a study of vacations found that people remembered and evaluated their experience based on the most enjoyable moment (the peak) and the end of the vacation (the end). This suggests that people tend to focus on the most intense moments and the end of an experience when evaluating it, rather than the overall experience. This has implications for businesses, as it suggests that they should focus on creating positive peak moments and positive endings in order to ensure that customers have a positive experience.


Do you want to expand your knowledge on this topic? Read our full in-depth article on cognitive biases.


Do you have extra 15 minutes today? Takeour fun and interactive quiz to learn which of 16 reasoning styles you use, your overall level of rationality, and what you can do now to improve your rationality skills.

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