Questioning the End Effect: Endings Are Not Inherently Over-Weighted in Retrospective Evaluations of Experiences

Abstract

The present research re-examines one of the most basic assertions regarding the evaluation of hedonic experiences: the end effect. The end effect suggests that the retrospective evaluation of an experience is disproportionately influenced by the final moments of the experience. The findings in this paper indicate that endings are not inherently over-weighted in retrospective evaluations. That is, episodes do not disproportionately affect the evaluation of an experience simply because they occur at the end. We replicate findings that are consistent with the end effect, but provide additional evidence implicating other processes as driving factors of those findings.

Keywords: hedonic experiences, evaluation, peak-end rule, perception, satisfaction

JEL Classification: C91, M31