How It Felt, How it Ended

Nobel-prize winning psychologist Daniel Kahneman has shown that recollection of past experiences is almost entirely determined by two things: 1) how the experience felt when it was at its peak and 2) how it felt when it ended.

When people evaluate past experience, they only recall two things: how it felt at the peak and whether it got better or worse at the end. As a result, a slight improvement, even an improvement from "intolerable" to "pretty bad," makes the whole experience seem better, and a bad ending makes everything seem worse. This "peak-end" rule is how we summarize the experience and then we rely on that summary to remember how the experience felt.

Speakers Who Go Beyond

What type of speaker routinely pleases meeting planners? The speaker who:

1.) Knows how to make the meeting planner's task easier and more enjoyable.

2.) Researches the audience in advance through interviews.

3.) Offers subject matter that directly coincides with audience needs.

4.) Is a lively and compelling presenter who engages the audience the whole way through.

5.) Offers value added services which may include posting handouts on a blog or website, making follow-up calls, or offering desired bonus items or information.

Allow for More Networking Time

At San Jose University in San Jose, California, researchers Charles Darrah, J. A. English-Lueck and James Freeman have observed “that constant ‘life-on-the-go’ can make people feel a lack of control over their lives.” At conferences and convention, perhaps it’s better to allow more time between sessions; chances are participants might feel more in control!

Cellphone Madness

HealthDayNews.com: Cell phones and pagers, part of the technological revolution that was supposed to liberate everyone, is tethering people to their jobs to an unprecedented degree, to the point where family life is suffering. The study limited the blame to cell phones and pages, and not computer-based communication such as e-mail. Cell phones and pagers were linked to increased psychological distress and reduced family satisfaction for both sexes.

The research, by University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee sociologist Noelle Chesley, appears in the December issue of the Journal of Marriage and Family. "The use of cell phones and pagers was linked to increased distress and a decrease in family satisfaction over time," said Chesley, an assistant professor of sociology. "There is clearly a link between using the technology and experiencing increased access."