Scientific Definition
Evaluations are warped by what came immediately before.
Plain-English Definition
Evaluations are warped by what came immediately before.
Feynman Explanation
Show the $5,000 watch first. The $500 one feels cheap.
Core Principle
Evaluations are warped by what came immediately before.
Mechanisms
Pending editorial review.
Evaluations are warped by what came immediately before.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Pricing and negotiation are largely contrast engineering.
Inputs (Triggers)
Pending editorial review.
Outputs (Behaviors)
Pending editorial review.
Behavioral Signature
Show the $5,000 watch first. The $500 one feels cheap.
Examples
- Sales decks anchor with the premium tier to make the middle look reasonable.
- Pricing and negotiation are largely contrast engineering.
Pending editorial review.
Famous Experiments
Pending editorial review.
Design Principles
- Evaluate options against absolute criteria, not against each other.
Measurement Approaches
Pending editorial review.
Evidence
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
The Perverse Incentive Lens™
How this behavior is exploited — and how to redesign around it.
- Evaluate options against absolute criteria, not against each other.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Interactive Mini Network
Click any neighbor to re-center the graph and follow the threads of connection.
Knowledge Graph Neighbors
Auto-linked to the rest of the Human Behavior Taxonomy by family, domain, dimension, and shared keywords.
A color appears different depending on adjacent colors.
The ability to focus on one voice in a noisy environment.
We spend less when holding large bills than small ones — same money, different behavior.
One new possession spirals into a cascade of complementary purchases.
Selling winners too early and holding losers too long.
We overweight one aspect of an event when predicting its impact.
One negative trait taints judgment of everything else about a person or company.
Evaluated separately, the smaller-but-complete option beats the larger-but-flawed one.
Goals become the focus, sometimes at the expense of the underlying purpose.
'Free' is a different psychological category — disproportionately attractive.
How will I feel about this in 10 minutes / 10 months / 10 years?
Inattention or forgetfulness caused by low attention, hyperfocus, or distraction.