ankkurointivaikutus

Ankkurointivaikutus, also known as the anchoring effect, is a cognitive bias that describes the human tendency to rely too heavily on the first piece of information offered (the "anchor") when making decisions. Once an anchor is set, subsequent judgments and decisions are often made by adjusting away from that anchor, and there is a bias towards interpreting other information around the anchor. This phenomenon can occur even when the anchor is arbitrary or irrelevant.

For example, in negotiations, the first price offered often serves as an anchor. If a seller asks for a high price, buyers may perceive subsequent lower prices as more reasonable, even if they are still above the actual value of the item. Similarly, if a seller offers a low price, buyers might anchor on that low price and be less willing to negotiate upwards. This effect is pervasive and can influence a wide range of decisions, from purchasing goods to making legal judgments.

Psychologists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky first described the anchoring effect in their research. They demonstrated how participants would estimate numerical values, such as the percentage of African countries in the UN, differently depending on a randomly generated number that served as an anchor. Those who were shown a higher anchor tended to provide higher estimates, and vice versa. The anchoring effect highlights the powerful influence of initial information on our decision-making processes, often leading to deviations from purely rational judgment.