The Doorway Effect: Why Do We Forget What We Were Supposed To Do After We Enter a Room?
Ever walked into a room and suddenly forgotten why you're there? You're not alone. The 'Doorway Effect' is a fascinating psychological phenomenon that impacts our memory. Let's delve into the science behind this curious occurrence and its implications on our daily lives.
Walking through a door and entering another room creates a “mental blockage” in the brain
Researchers believe that walking through open doors resets memory to make room for a new episode to emerge
- This is generally referred to as the doorway effect
- A classic example of how we sometimes forget what we should do as soon as we enter a room.
What is the reason for the door opener effect?
Researchers believe that passing through a doorway and entering a different room creates a mental block in the brain.
- This hypothesis is supported by a study on memory, which demonstrated that people passing through doorways experienced a ‘divide’ in their memory.
- Walking through open doors is thought to reset memory to make room for the emergence of a new episode.
About the Author
Ashish is a Science graduate from Punjabi University (India) who spearheads the content and editorial wing of ScienceABC and manages its official Youtube channel.
- He’s a big admirer of Richard Feynman and Nikola Tesla, and he obsesses over how thoroughly science dictates every aspect of life.
What is the Doorway Effect?
When we enter a room and have absolutely no idea what we are doing there. Psychologists aptly call this phenomenon the doorway effect.
- Human memories are episodic, as opposed to clear, linear narratives, which means that they are segmented and strongly depend on the person who makes them.
An interesting study on the doorway effect
A series of studies conducted by Gabriel Radvansky and his colleagues at the University of Notre Dame has been observed that changing rooms and walking through doors actually make us forget things
- In the first study, they recruited dozens of participants to use computer buttons to navigate a virtual reality environment depicted on a television screen, consisting of a total of 55 rooms, some large and some small.
- On each table was an item that was no longer visible as soon as it was picked up by the participant. The task of the participants was to pick up an item and take it to another table, where they were to deposit it and select a new one.