Psychology says people who feel compelled to finish every puzzle they start may be responding to the same psychological desire for resolution that researchers call the need for cognitive closure

There is something oddly satisfying about putting the final piece into a puzzle. The scattered pieces suddenly become a complete picture. A crossword goes from a grid of empty squares to a finished answer. A Sudoku that has been resisting you for an hour finally falls into place.

For some people, stopping halfway feels almost impossible. They may tell themselves they will come back later, only to keep searching for the missing piece or solving the last few clues until the puzzle is complete.