You tell yourself you will read just a few pages before going to sleep. Then you reach the end of a chapter and think, “I’ll stop after this one.” But once you reach the final paragraph, stopping suddenly feels almost impossible. The book goes back onto the table only after the chapter is complete.
Psychology suggests that this behavior can involve several processes, including goal completion, cognitive closure, narrative transportation and the tendency to resume interrupted activities. It does not necessarily mean someone is unusually disciplined or obsessive. In many cases, the structure of the reading experience itself may make stopping at an arbitrary point feel psychologically uncomfortable.
