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Industry Contributor 18 Nov 2020 - 4 min read

How to remember Melbourne lockdown? Behavioural Science says try the 'Peak End Rule'; Daniel Andrews wins

By Dan Monheit, Founder - Hardhat

After eight months of coronavirus lockdown – the not normal, the new normal –  Melbournites are relishing the next normal by being, well, normal. Life is back on – cafes, restaurants, bars, kids birthday parties, family and friends’ meet-ups, sports, shopping – and while it’s only just finished, it’s interesting to consider how we’ll look back on the very strange year we’ve all just lived through.

  • Behavioural science offers key insights into just how biased we are when it comes to re-contextualising our past.
  • Decades of research into the Behavioural Science bias known as ‘Peak End Rule’ has proven that not all parts of an experience are created equal when it comes to shaping memories.
  • Without any truly horrendous negative peaks, such as our hospitals being overloaded, or large scale, permanent unemployment, the peaks have become those little blissful moments that almost caught us all off guard
  • Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has been loudly and vigorously detested by many sectors of our community, particularly, over the last few weeks but not only will Dan Andrews’ leadership be looked back upon fondly by Victorians, in all likelihood, so will the entire Covid-19 saga, in a way we could never have imagined back in March. Go figure.
  • *Don't know much about Behavioural Economics? Click here for Mi3 and Hardhat's 4 x 45 minute marketer briefing series on its resurgence? Literally dozens of Australian brands and marketing teams have rediscovered the discipline this year through COVID. Banks, telcos, FMCG, insurers and car makers have all used Behavioural Science to rework their messaging, strategy, product design and channel choice. So, stick with the smart money and check out the Built on Behaviour Bootcamp here

 

The peaks and endings are crucial factors in the crafting memories. Not only will Dan Andrews’ leadership be looked back upon fondly by Victorians, but in all likelihood, so will the entire Covid-19 saga, in a way we could never have imagined back in March. 

So how will we remember the old new normal?

Our rational, pragmatic selves would have us believe that our memories are an accurate representation (or at least a rough approximation) of the experiences they’re drawn from. Interestingly, behavioural science offers some insights into just how biased we are when it comes to re-contextualising our past. 

Danny Kahneman, the Nobel prize-winning Israeli psychologist, has spent his career examining the differences between our ‘experiencing self’ and our ‘remembering self’, as well as the interrelation between the two. While our experiencing self is all about how we feel in the moment, it’s our remembering self that carries the story for the days, months and years thereafter.

Through decades of research, Kahneman has proven that not all parts of an experience are created equal when it comes to shaping memories. In fact, Kahneman’s aptly named ‘Peak End Rule’, states that people’s memories are formed largely based on how they felt at the most intense part of an experience (the ‘peak’, which could be positive or negative) and how they felt at the end, rather than the total sum or average of how they felt throughout it.

The Peak End Rule is as true for how we remember short holidays and two-day conferences as it is for how we remember six years of high school and long stretches of our working lives. The highs count. The lows count. The endings count. Everything else is as good as forgotten.

When I look back at the last eight months of lockdown, it’s hard to hone in on any specific, emotionally intense peaks. For me, and the millions of others lucky enough to not have been hugely or directly impacted health-wise or vocationally, the period was mainly just a long stretch filled with different kinds of boredom. When it comes to memories, however, ‘long stretches’ and ‘boredom’ don’t count.

So, what does this leave us with?

Without any truly horrendous negative peaks, such as our hospitals being overloaded, or large scale, permanent unemployment, the peaks have become those little blissful moments that almost caught us all off guard; the smell of fresh-baked sourdough in the house, the end of a crafting project, the joy of a brand new puppy or in my case, the slow time with my wife and two young kids. As a dad, I’ve always made an effort to be present, even though my presence was always ‘between things’ - work calls, late night emails, drop offs, meetings. For the last eight months, there’s been far less things to squeeze between. We’ve just been home. Together.

Endings are the other crucial factor in the crafting of our memories. How else do you explain the importance of death bed reconciliations, year 12 muck up day or the lolly bags that no kids party is complete without? 

Kahneman tells a story about a gentleman listening to a beautiful piece of classical music. Right at the end of the record, there's a wretched scratch, effectively ruining the experience. But did it? The first 47 minutes of listening to the music was still magnificent. The scratch at the end just ruined the memory.

With the end of the lockdown and the sense of pride Victorians feel in achieving something that no other cities have, the mood is indeed celebratory. Not surprisingly, everyone's planning to go out to party and drink six months’ worth of beer in the next two weeks for a start. Restaurant waiting lists are full. It’s impossible to get a haircut. The streets are alive.

This positive ending is going to bode well for Dan Andrews. While he has been loudly and vigorously detested by many sectors of our community, particularly, over the last few weeks, the Peak End Rule dictates that all’s remembered well that ends well.

Not only will Dan Andrews’ leadership be looked back upon fondly by Victorians, but in all likelihood, so will the entire Covid-19 saga, in a way we could never have imagined back in March.

 

*Don't know much about Behavioural Economics? Click here for Mi3 and Hardhat's 4 x 45 minute marketer briefing series on its resurgence? Literally dozens of Australian brands and marketing teams have rediscovered the discipline this year through Covid. Banks, telcos, FMCG, insurers and car makers have all used Behavioural Science to rework their messaging, strategy, product design and channel choice. So, stick with the smart money and check out the Built on Behaviour Bootcamp here

 

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