How to Make Your Travel Memories More Special: Harnessing the Peak-End Rule

Adventure is a State of Mind

The Peak-End Rule

If you’re taking a trip you’ve long been dreaming of taking, you might feel that there is nothing you could do to make the trip more memorable. But what if there is! Making the most of a psychological phenomena called the “peak-end rule” can help make the memories extra special.

Before we get into how they can enhance your next travel adventure, let’s learn about each of these psychological experiences.

The Peak

The peak-end rule refers to the tendency of human beings to judge an experience by its peak moment and its end. “Peak” in this case refers to the most intense moment of an experience, not necessarily what might be thought of as its best moment. For example, the most painful part of a medical procedure is usually the most memorable.

When traveling, most people can quickly name their peak moments. It is probably when they checked an item off of their bucket list, or when they had that experience they had been dreaming of since they were six.

Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals the human spirit.

e.e. cummings

The End

We often don’t realize how much the end of an experience impacts how we remember the entire experience. Interestingly, the duration of a negative experience has less impact on an individual’s memories than their judgment of the experience when it ended.

For example, if two individuals have a painful medical intervention and Person A’s procedure lasts 24 minutes, but the last 5 minutes were less painful than the rest of the procedure, they will judge the overall experience more positively than Person B, whose procedure only lasted 15 minutes, but the last 5 minutes were the most painful part.

Similarly, if a traveler experiences numerous flight delays and problems at the beginning of their trip but the last few days are lovely and their flight home goes smoothly, their overall impression of the trip is likely to be positive.

Conversely, if their initial flight and the first few days of their trip are perfect but everything that can go wrong does during the last few days, including multiple delays with their flight home, the experience is more likely to leave them with a negative impression of the entire trip. (This is where the ability to laugh at oneself is invaluable so that the end experience doesn’t feel quite so negative!)

How to Harness the Power of Psychology

So, how can a brave, wise traveler use the peak-end rule to enhance their travel adventures and memories? Here are four ideas specific to travel:

1. End on a high note. The order in which you plan activities can make a difference. Knowing this, when possible, reserve the most fun or exciting activity for the end. If you plan something extra special during your travel adventure – maybe a gourmet meal, an overnight stay in a castle, or white-water rafting – schedule it for the end of your trip rather than the beginning. The excitement or warm, fuzzy feeling you and your travel companions get from the experience will affect how you feel about the entire journey if it occurs at the end of the adventure.
2. Add more peaks. Even if creating or seeking out the intense or enjoyable experience takes some effort, it’s likely worth it. For example, you might have to drive to a distant location or hike for some time to get to the overlook known for its amazing sunrises, but given how our brains work, having that experience is likely going to be worth it, and more likely is going to be one of the experiences you best remember from your travels.
3. Consider small bursts of intense enjoyment. If adding more peak moments feels overwhelming, remember that peak moments don’t have to be long-lasting. For example, a peak moment doesn’t have to be a five-course meal that takes hours. (Although that would, of course, count as a peak experience!) Instead, it could be a small serving of scrumptious gelato in the middle of the afternoon.
4. If your trip ended on a sour note, make a point to review the positive highlights. Despite all our best planning efforts, sometimes a trip’s end experience can be negative, such as dealing with flight delays and cancellations on the way home. As a way to soften the impact of the end rule, make a point to discuss the trip highlights with your travel companions and/or look through photos from the trip on your phone… maybe while you’re stuck in the airport waiting for your next flight. When you get home, share your photos and favorite stories with your friends. Reviewing the highlights of your trip so soon can help your brain to focus more on the positive peak experiences from the trip and less on the end experience.

Using the peak-end rule isn’t a requirement to having an enjoyable travel adventure, of course, but knowing how to harness this human tendency can enhance your overall travel experience and memories. So, why not try it out?

Consider your plans for your next travel adventure – how can you maximize your experience with the peak-end rule? What would put a smile on your face and the face of your travel companions?