Note from Thinking, Fast and Slow.
When your estimation of a quantity is affected by another original quantity. There’s two ways this happens.
- Offers a suggestion to your System 1 because of The Priming Effect.
- Literally provides an anchor for your System 2.
- The error here occurs because your System 2 is generally lazy, and stops “moving away” from the anchor the instant you hit uncertainty.
Has a much larger effect than you would think. Many studies have found results like 30-60% anchoring measures on average (where 100% would be completely following the anchor and 0% would be being completely unaffected by it). In fact, even completely random and unhelpful numbers like a roll of die can contribute as much as more relevant facts.
To fight anchoring when you recognize an anchor being thrown at you, intentionally activate your system 2 and try to “think the opposite.”