The Psychology of the “Cliffhanger”
Bluma Zeigarnik proved that people remember uncompleted or interrupted tasks 90% better than completed ones. This is why you remember the one bug you couldn’t fix on Friday afternoon all weekend, but you forget the 10 bugs you fixed on Monday.
The “Open Loop” creates a state of mild anxiety. The only way to relieve the anxiety is to return and finish the task.
How to Weaponize This in Product Design
1. The “Almost Done” Progress Bar (LinkedIn) LinkedIn is the master of this. For years, users saw a “Profile Strength” meter. It would get stuck at “Intermediate.” Users would spend hours endorsing strangers and adding obscure skills just to get that bar to “All-Star.” The Trick: If they showed no bar, nobody would care. By showing a partial bar, they created a Zeigarnik itch.
2. The “Endowed Progress” Effect (Car Wash Cards) If you give a user a punch card with 10 empty slots, they are slow to start. If you give them a card with 12 slots, but 2 are already stamped, they are much more likely to finish. Why? Because the task is already in progress. The loop is open.
- Application: In your onboarding checklist, make the first item “Create Account” and mark it as Doneimmediately. The user feels they have already started, so they are compelled to finish.
3. The “Interrupt” Technique (Drip Emails) Most welcome emails are boring. “Here is your account.” Try an open loop email:
- Subject: “The one mistake you are making…”
- Body: “I noticed you signed up, but you haven’t set up X yet. This usually leads to failure because…” You open a loop. The user has to log in to close it.
The Warning: Closure is Death
In storytelling, the “Happily Ever After” is the end of the movie. The audience leaves. In product, if a user feels “Complete,” they might churn. You always want to leave a tiny thread open.
- “Congratulations on finishing the course! Your next certification is 10% complete.“
Conclusion
Don’t let your users feel satisfied. Satisfaction leads to sleep. Keep them slightly hungry. Keep the loop open.