Anchoring Bias

Why do first numbers stick in our minds — even when we know they’re arbitrary? In this episode of Circuit Breaker: Rewiring Your Decisions, we explore anchoring bias — the mental shortcut that causes us to rely too heavily on the first piece of information we encounter when making decisions. From price tags and negotiations to estimates, grades, and everyday judgments, we uncover how initial anchors quietly pull our thinking off course.

Discover how to recognise when an anchor is shaping your choices — and how to break free from its influence so you can think more clearly and decide more deliberately.

Studies and links:

Judgment under Uncertainty: Heuristics and Biases | Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky tversky_k_heuristics_biases.pdf

Anchoring bias & Adjustment Heuristic: Definition and Examples | Simply Psychology Anchoring Bias and Adjustment Heuristic in Psychology