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Anchoring effect

A compact thinking tool for spotting patterns and avoiding mistakes.

  1. The useful idea

    The anchoring effect is a psychological phenomenon in which an individual's judgments or decisions are influenced by a reference point or "anchor" which can be completely irrelevant.

  2. How it works

    The original description of the anchoring effect came from psychophysics.

  3. Why it matters

    When judging stimuli along a continuum, it was noticed that the first and last stimuli were used to compare the other stimuli (this is also referred to as "end anchoring").

Use Anchoring effect as a quick check before trusting your first conclusion.

Use Anchoring effect as a quick check before trusting your first conclusion.

Test your recall

Which idea belongs to the explanation of Anchoring effect?

  • The useful idea — correct
  • How it works
  • Why it matters

The anchoring effect is a psychological phenomenon in which an individual's judgments or decisions are influenced by a reference point or "anchor" which can be completely irrelevant.

EvergreenLast verified 2026-07-19

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