Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 21, 2026

Meta-Analysis of the Effectiveness and Safety of Shugan Jieyu Capsules for the Treatment of Insomnia
Published on: February 17, 2023
Unfinished work tasks and work-related thoughts during off-job time: meta-analysis of the Zeigarnik effect in a
Johannes Wendsche1, Oliver Weigelt2, Christine J Syrek3
1Division 3-Work and Health, Unit 3.3 Designing Service Work, Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Dresden, Germany.
Background:
In work and organizational psychology, substantial empirical evidence shows that unfinished tasks act as job stressors, impairing workers' recovery. Building on (Zeigarnik, B. (1927). Das Behalten erledigter und unerledigter Handlungen [The memory of completed and uncompleted actions]. Psychologische Forschung, 9, 1-85. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02409755) findings on memory advantages for incomplete tasks, we aimed to synthesize the relationships between unfinished work tasks and work-related thoughts during off-job time.
Method:
We conducted a random-effects meta-analysis at the between-person level (k = 17, N = 2,473) and the within-person level (k = 14, N = 12,129). We meta-analytically tested potential study-related moderators (e.g., work-related thoughts assessment) and identified additional moderators through a qualitative review.
Results:
Unfinished work tasks were positively related to work-related thoughts during off-job time, with significantly stronger associations at the between-person (ρbetween = .382) than at the within-person level (ρwithin = .247). Associations were strongest for (affective) rumination as the outcome. Among the study characteristics, only the proportion of females emerged as a significant moderator. Additional moderators identified in the qualitative review included goal valence, action regulation and goal-related strategies, trait temporal focus, and supervisory performance expectations.
Conclusion:
Unfinished work tasks are associated with increased work-related thoughts during off-job time, potentially hindering recovery. A more comprehensive theoretical integration of moderating factors is needed to advance understanding and inform intervention efforts.
Related Concept Videos
Self Within Cultural Contexts
Directing Effect of Substituents: meta-Directing Groups
Impact of Social Context on Individuals
Noncompartmental Analysis: Mean Residence Time
After the administration of a drug through intravenous bolus injection, the drug molecules are distributed throughout the body and remain there for varying periods. The MRT represents the average time these drug molecules stay in the...
Vygotsky's Cognitive Development in Cultural Context
Muscle Recovery and Fatigue

