Effect of Finished and Unfinished Tasks on Memory Retention Among Filipino College Students

Identifying how task completion influences memory retention remains a relevant concern in cognitive psychology and educational practice. This study examined the effect of task completion status on memory retention among college students by comparing recall performances between finished and unfinished tasks. A quantitative within-subjects experimental design was employed, involving 30 college students from the University of Perpetual Help System DALTA – Molino, selected through simple random sampling. Participants were exposed to both task conditions and completed a free-recall test to assess memory performance. Descriptive statistics and inferential analyses, including the paired-samples t-test and effect size calculation, were employed to assess differences in recall scores. The findings demonstrated significantly higher recall scores for completed tasks than for unfinished tasks, as evidenced by the inferential analysis showing a statistically significant difference and a moderate effect size. These findings suggest that task completion may contribute to improved memory retention. Contrary to the classical prediction of the Zeigarnik Effect, unfinished tasks were not remembered better than completed tasks in this sample. Overall, the findings provide localized evidence on the relationship between task completion and memory retention among Filipino college students.