No Peak-End Rule for Simple Positive Experiences Observed in Children and Adults

Publication date: Available online 6 July 2019Source: Journal of Applied Research in Memory and CognitionAuthor(s): Eric Y. Mah, Daniel M. BernsteinWe investigated the tendency of children and adults to rely on the most intense and final moments when judging positive experiences, a heuristic known as the peak-end rule. This rule allows us to judge experiences quickly, but it can bias judgments. In three experiments involving various age groups (N = 988, ages 2–97), we attempted to replicate prior findings of a peak-end rule for small and simple positive experiences (e.g., receiving small gifts; Do, Rupert, & Wolford, 2008). Based on the original study and peak-end rule predictions, we hypothesized that individuals of all ages would be less satisfied with a highly desirable gift followed by a less desirable gift than with a highly desirable gift alone. We failed to observe the peak-end rule in preschoolers, school-aged children, younger adults, or older adults in any of the contexts we investigated. Our results show little support for positive peak-end rule effects and mark boundary conditions for the rule.

Source: Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition - July 6, 2019 Category: Neuroscience Source Type: research