Wikipedia says:
"The Zeigarnik effect states that people remember uncompleted or interrupted tasks better than completed ones.
"Russian psychologist Bluma Zeigarnik first studied the phenomenon after noticing that waiters seemed to remember orders only so long as the order was in the process of being served."
Apparently you can game the Zeigarnik Effect for more effective studying, employ it to goose your direct marketing plan, or just consider it as one excellent explanation for the allure of multi-tasking.
In any case, it's a fascinating idea and sure would account for why it feels so worthwhile to "close the loop" whenever you can.
