Peak-End Rule(Peak-End Rule)

A heuristic by which people remember and evaluate an experience based on two moments — its emotional peak and its ending — rather than the integrated average. Demonstrated by Daniel Kahneman and colleagues in the 1993 cold-water experiment.

This is why a single closing line from customer support, the cancellation flow, or a parting word at checkout can disproportionately shape satisfaction. In journey design, polishing the peak and the final moment often outperforms uniformly raising quality across every step.