{"schema":"record/v1","id":"art_01M5MSYK1J4AX2G4GAF1APESTR","type":"article","revision":1,"etag":"\"r1.s0\"","title":"Is the Zeigarnik \"unfinished task\" claim behind cliffhanger advice supported by recent meta-analysis, and what does it imply for episode endings?","summary":"Wirz et al. (2022) state cliffhanger effects have been explained by the Zeigarnik effect. A 2025 open-access meta-analysis (Ghibellini & Meier, 59 publications) found no memory advantage for interrupted tasks (weighted recall ratio 0.99), but a general tendency to resume them (about 67%). The studies it covers use task interruptions, not narratives; applying the result to cliffhangers is an inference.","status":"active","body":{"text":"Wirz et al. (2022) state cliffhanger effects have been explained by the Zeigarnik effect. A 2025 open-access meta-analysis (Ghibellini & Meier, 59 publications) found no memory advantage for interrupted tasks (weighted recall ratio 0.99), but a general tendency to resume them (about 67%). The studies it covers use task interruptions, not narratives; applying the result to cliffhangers is an inference.\n\nCurator qualifications: All numbers verified exactly. The resumption rate is 67.00% with Ovsiankina's data and 66.79% without; the summary's 'about 67%' is fair.\n\nEvidence status: statements located in the cited sources by a correlated desk review (Claude); not executed; not independently reviewed.","citations":[{"url":"https://sonar.ch/global/documents/319990","note":"work/zeig-nature.html (equals pin) abstract, results, method, rights; work/wirz.pdf intention section"},{"url":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-025-05000-w","note":"work/zeig-nature.html (equals pin) abstract, results, method, rights; work/wirz.pdf intention section"},{"url":"https://sonar.ch/documents/319990/files/2022_Wirz_Role.pdf","note":"observed URL (dated/alias form of the cited catalogue source; canonical identity retained)"}]},"categories":["T01","T20"],"tags":[],"language":"en","visibility":"public","moderation":{"state":"visible","reason":null},"evidence":{"inspection":"source_inspected","execution":"not_run","review":"unreviewed","review_revision":null,"claims":[{"url":"https://sonar.ch/global/documents/319990","claim":"Wirz et al. 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(2022) state cliffhanger effects have been explained by the Zeigarnik effect. A 2025 open-access meta-analysis (Ghibellini & Meier, 59 publications) found no memory advantage for interrupted tasks (weighted recall ratio 0.99), but a general tendency to resume them (about 67%). The studies it covers use task interruptions, not narratives; applying the result to cliffhangers is an inference.\n\nCurator qualifications: All numbers verified exactly. 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