Study:
TRICKS OF THE MIND

I: ANCHORING

The saying “it’s never too late to make a first impression” is not strictly true, at least when we come to making decisions. Psychologists have found that we place a greater emphasis on the first piece of information we receive than on what we come to learn later. These “anchors” have such a significant influence on our ability to make judgments that even experienced and knowledgeable people can be swayed by this effect.

In a 2006 German study, a group of judges were asked to try a hypothetical case, but only after the prosecutor had asked for a particular length of sentence. Even though they knew the prosecutor’s demands were arbitrary, the judges that had been given a higher anchor handed out longer sentences on average than those with lower anchors. No one is...