Universal Principles of Design, Updated and Expanded Third Edition

007 Anchoring

The subconscious influence of reference points on decision-making and judgment.

The anchoring effect occurs when a stimulus becomes a baseline or reference point, influencing how related stimuli are perceived and acted upon. For example, when multiple prices are presented together, the high price sets an anchor — i.e., becomes the top-end reference point — and makes the lower prices seem less expensive. The specificity of the stimulus influences the scale of the effect. Given an anchor of $20, people tend to think in large increments ($19, $21, etc.), but given an anchor of $19.75, people tend to think in smaller increments ($19.50, $19.95). The effect is strongest when anchors are related and relevant to one another. If people ...