6. The anchoring effect is a cognitive bias that describes the common human tendency to rely too heavily on the first piece of information offered (the “anchor”) when making decisions. Anchoring Bias Anchoring bias is the tendency to rely heavily on one piece of information (often the first thing you hear) when making decisions. 1. The same facts presented in two different ways can lead to different judgments or decisions from people. "People make estimates by starting from an initial value that is adjusted to yield the final answer," explained Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman in a 1974 paper. During decision making, anchoring occurs when individuals use an initial piece of information to make subsequent judgments. Confirmation Bias Examples in Real Life Imagine that you read an article about a political scandal, confirming everything you thought about a politician you dislike. This automatically becomes an example of the Endowment Effect at work. In psychology, this type of cognitive bias is known as the anchoring bias or anchoring effect. When a new song releases, we may think: “Music these days are so horrible. Converse For example, Bang & Olufsen allows users to manipulate the speakers onscreen by pinching and viewing them from all angles. 1. Inferences about other people and situations are often woven in an illogical fashion, and individuals can create their own "subjective reality" from their respective perceptions. This is why it pays off to be the first one to offer a bolstering range instead of a firm number when negotiating your salary. Sugden, R; Zheng, J & Zizzo, D (2013) Not all anchors are created equal. 5 Examples of Hindsight Bias posted by John Spacey , February 10, 2016 updated on August 13, 2018 Hindsight bias is a common tendency to view the past as more predictable than it was at the time. Anchoring bias examples in real life: Anchoring heuristic examples occur daily around you and sometimes right under your nose. For example, if you are in the medical field, using a symptom checklist or assessment can help decrease cognitive bias. When our guitar breaks, we may think “They don’t make ’em like they used to” . Using tools such as checklists can also help decrease anchoring bias. So, we move, build, and manipulate the product to imagine how it would fit into our living spaces. You text a friend, who supports the politician, and she thinks the article completely vindicates the politician. Shopping: In almost every store you visit, an anchor has been put in place to optimize sales. A cognitive bias is defined as a pattern of thinking that deviates from norm or rationality in judgment. Setting a high price for one item makes all others seem cheaper, though only when the price shown is actually plausible (and not some silly amount!) They don’t make music like they used to.. like in those days” . Anchoring Bias We tend to rely too heavily on the first piece of information seen. When you visit a store looking for a T-shirt, the expensive T-shirts are displayed on the front. Final Thoughts on Anchoring Bias. As one of the most robust cognitive biases that humans experience, anchoring bias can skew our perspective, leading us to adhere to a particular value, despite its potential irrationality. Bias at play: Anchoring bias — being over-reliant on the first piece of information available. Framing bias occurs when people make a decision based on the way the information is presented, as opposed to just on the facts themselves.