Cognitive Scaffold

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MENTAL MODEL · M1589

Duration Neglect

Duration Neglect
BehaviorHigh supportPsychology
Included
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Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-30

CORE DEFINITION

People's evaluation of an experience (such as a vacation or surgery) mainly depends on the peak (the most intense moment) and the end (the final moment), and is almost unrelated to how long the experience lasted (duration).

SCAFFOLDING EFFECT

psychology

Reduce cognitive load

- Experience design: When giving a report, even if the middle is boring (duration), as long as there is a highlight moment (peak) and a wonderful ending (final value), the audience will feel that it is a good report.

anchor

Anchor fast decisions

Kahneman found that people's memory and evaluation of an experience are mainly determined by the 'peak' and 'end', rather than the total duration, which is duration neglect.

MINIMUM ACTION

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Source support: Explicit

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    en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duration_neglectZH · Explicit
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