Resisting Anchoring Effects: The Roles Of Metric And Mapping Knowledge

ASU Author/Contributor (non-ASU co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Andrew Smith Ph.D, Associate Professor (Creator)
Institution
Appalachian State University (ASU )
Web Site: https://library.appstate.edu/

Abstract: The biasing influence of anchors on numerical estimates is well established, but the relationshipbetween knowledge level and the susceptibility to anchoring effects is less clear. In two studies,we addressed the potential mitigating effects of having knowledge in a domain on vulnerability toanchoring effects in that domain. Of critical interest was a distinction between two forms ofknowledge—metric and mapping knowledge. In Study 1, participants who had studiedquestion-relevant information—that is, high-knowledge participants—were less influenced byanchors than were participants who had studied irrelevant information. The results fromknowledge measures suggested that the reduction in anchoring was tied to increases in metricrather than mapping knowledge. In Study 2, participants studied information specificallydesigned to influence different types of knowledge. As we predicted, increases in metricknowledge—and not mapping knowledge—led to reduced anchoring effects. Implicationsfor debiasing anchoring effects are discussed

Additional Information

Publication
Andrew R. Smith & Paul D.Windschit (2015) Resisting anchoring effects: The roles of metric and mapping knowledge" Memory & Cognition (ISSN: 0090-502X) Version of record available @ (DOI 10.3758/s13421-015-0524-4)
Language: English
Date: 2015
Keywords
anchoring-effects, knowledge, heuristics, bias, accuracy

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