Biais d'ancrage en psychologie

Definition of Anchoring Bias

• Anchoring bias is a cognitive bias where initial information or opinions heavily influence subsequent judgments and decisions.

Nature of the Bias

• Individuals tend to rely too heavily, or "anchor," on the first piece of information they receive (the "anchor").
• This initial information acts as a reference point, and subsequent judgments are adjusted insufficiently away from it.
• The effect is stronger when the information is presented in a seemingly credible or authoritative manner.

Mechanisms of Anchoring Bias

• Cognitive availability: Easier retrieval of initial information.
• Representativeness heuristic: Evaluation based on similarity to the anchor.
• Insufficient adjustment from anchor: Subsequent information may not exert sufficient influence to counteract the initial anchor.
• Confirmation bias: Individuals tend to seek and interpret information that confirms their existing anchors.
• Motivated reasoning: Desire to justify pre-existing beliefs anchored on initial information.

Examples of Anchoring Bias

• Negotiation: An initial price offer, either high or low, will often influence both parties' ultimately agreed-upon price.
• Auctions: Initial bids placed at an auction can affect the final selling price.
• Advertising: Initial price promotions can impact consumer perceptions of product value.
• Real estate appraisals: Past sales figures can influence the value assigned to a property, even if those figures are unrealistic.
• Investment decisions: Initial market trends or stock valuations can shape subsequent investment strategies, despite subsequent contradictory evidence.

Factors Influencing the Strength of Anchoring Bias

• Framing of information: The way the information is presented can influence its impact on judgment.
• Ambiguity of subsequent information: Vague or unclear information allows the anchor to have a stronger influence.
• Individual characteristics: People with high need for structure or those facing time pressure can be more susceptible to anchoring effects.
• Confidence in the anchor: Strong belief in the initial information reinforces the anchoring effect.

Consequences of Anchoring Bias

• Inaccurate estimations and judgments: leading to suboptimal decisions.
• Inefficient allocation of resources: resulting from flawed assessments.
• Misunderstanding of problems: causing poor responses to situations.
• Negative impact on negotiations: potentially leading to missed opportunities or unfavorable agreements.
• Bias in risk perception: affecting decisions with probabilistic or uncertain outcomes.

Ce quiz explore le concept de biais d'ancrage, un aspect fascinant des biais cognitifs. Il examine comment les informations initiales influencent les jugements et décisions subséquents, et les mécanismes qui alimentent ce phénomène. Testez vos connaissances sur ce biais et ses implications !