Our Brains Are Wired to Complete Puzzles

“A large part of why we enjoy these puzzles from time to time has to do with an effect called pseudo-set-framing.

What is pseudo-set-framing?

Essentially, pseudo-set-framing is the human desire to complete sets of things. Whether its collecting all the stamps on a Subway club card, finishing all 4 parts of a homework assignment, or finding the last pieze of a huge jigsaw puzzle.

All of these tasks have one thing in common — we can’t help resisting filling out the last piece of the puzzle!

How can we use pseudo-set-framing?

If the effect is real, it suggests we can probably find ways to use pseudo-sets to boost our own goals and productivity. The first and probably most obvious one is lists. For those Listies among us, I’m sure they can attest to the power and desire to complete a daily set of tasks that have been scheduled.

For larger tasks, we’ve often heard that breaking them down into far easier-to-complete smaller parts is an effective way to fight procrastination. Indeed, the study authors even mention for pseudo-sets to work, the tasks must be reasonable to complete.

If you make the goal so far-stretched that you’d have to build a life-size Eiffel tower out of Lego, you’re probably going to get demotivated pretty damn quick — regardless of tactics.

But if you want to accomplish something simple, splitting up the task and grouping them together in a sort of gamified system might just do wonders for your goal setting.”

Read the full article on Medium

✨Takeaway: The phenomenon known as pseudo-set-framing plays a significant role in why humans find puzzles entertaining. If your goal is to complete a straightforward task, breaking it up into smaller components and grouping them together in a system that is somewhat game-like can be the answer.

✨Reflection: What's your favorite type of strategy game?

#Puzzles #Productivity #Tasks #Motivation #Goals #Psychology