Concept · Cognitive Bias: Economic and consumer biases
Peak-end rule
Origin: Fredrickson & Kahneman, 1993
Biological Parallel
Migration memories in birds are dominated by peak stress (storms, predators) and endpoints (breeding ground quality)—not average conditions en route. Salmon returning to natal streams remember peak predation sites and final spawning success, which shapes future route selection. Natural selection optimizes for memorable experiences, not comprehensive averaging, because vivid peaks and critical endpoints predict future fitness better than mean conditions. Memory is expensive; biology compresses experiences into decision-relevant highlights.