In 1993 an interesting study run by Daniel Kahneman and other researchers investigated discomfort. Participants submerged one hand in water at 14°C (57.2°F) for sixty seconds and rated the discomfort. A while later, they submerged one hand in 14°C for sixty seconds again but then kept their hands submerged for another thirty seconds as the temperature was raised to 15°C (59°F).
Despite the prolonged exposure in the second scenario, participants preferred this experience. Kahneman’s team concluded that the participant’s “retrospective evaluation” was biased; when thinking about an event in the past the brain doesn’t lend equal weights to memories and sensations. The team suggested that some moments in the experiment create an outsized impact on the experience – namely the “peak experience” and the end of the experience. In this case, the initial discomfort and then the intensity of discomfort at the end. The study, When More Pain Is Preferred to Less: Adding a Better End, has been replicated numerous times and was also examined in Kahneman’s book Thinking, Fast and Slow.
One reason educators may find the “peak-end rule” fascinating is the opportunity it creates to bring joy and enthusiasm to learning. We’ve previously looked at intentional design as a way to craft meaningful experiences in the classroom – and the peak-end rule is another tool to consider. Not every class has to have a peak moment – crafting peak moments can be tricky. Chip and Dan Heath provide strategies for creating peak moments in their book The Power of Moments. One lesson to take away from Khaneman’s work is endeavoring to enhance the end moments.
Imagine a class that ends with handing back a test. Some students may be elated, and some students may be distraught. An abrupt end like this can be improved by designing in positivity. One metacognitive exercise is to have students spend a few minutes going over their exam and classifying everything they got wrong:
- Was it a silly mistake? Did I know the content but just circle the wrong answer?
- Was it a blurry concept? Did I kinda-sorta know the content but haven’t yet solidified it?
- Was it a legitimate deficit? I had no idea what was being asked and/or what the right answer was.
Or try reminding students that you care about their understanding. Promote the support services at the college. Reinforce your commitment to their learning career.
You can design positive end experiences at the course level, too. Instead of ending a course with a final exam, have the final before the last day of class and have a celebration on the last day of the semester. Ask students to share their favorite part of the semester. Take turns talking about what everyone learned – and how that will help in their future endeavors. Hand out superlatives. Curate a closing ceremony to highlight the tremendous growth your students experienced.
Peak moments and end experiences might be hard to intentionally create, but it might be a good tool to bring the joy of learning to your students.
