{"id":59743,"date":"2022-02-07T14:09:00","date_gmt":"2022-02-07T18:09:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=59743"},"modified":"2022-02-14T13:01:46","modified_gmt":"2022-02-14T17:01:46","slug":"contrast-effect-psychology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/contrast-effect-psychology\/","title":{"rendered":"Contrast Effect: The Psychology of Mental Shortcuts"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What is the contrast effect<\/a>? Why do people fall for the contrast effect?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The contrast effect is a cognitive heuristic: It helps you make judgments faster while expending less energy. Your brain lessens energy usage whenever possible, and the contrast effect helps it conserve cognitive resources. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn about the psychology of the contrast effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

The Contrast Effect<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The contrast effect is a logical fallacy that changes how you value things. Humans aren\u2019t good at objective judgments, so when something is presented as the better of two options, you see it as more valuable<\/strong> than if it’s presented alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, a salesperson shows you two TVs: one that\u2019s $1,000 over your budget, while the other is $500 over your budget. The cheaper TV isn’t a good deal on its own because it\u2019s still over your budget, but it\u2019s a good deal in comparison <\/em>to the more expensive option. Thus, instead of looking for a TV within your budget, you\u2019ll probably accept the one that\u2019s $500 over budget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Contrast Effect as a Heuristic<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

According to psychology, the contrast effect is what is called a “heuristic”: It helps you save the brain’s resources when performing a value judgment. Your brain lessens energy usage whenever possible, so it prioritizes swift judgments between two options, even if those options aren\u2019t the best available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, your brain prioritizes swift comparison so much that when choosing between two items that are similar and a third that\u2019s different, your brain dismisses the third option because it\u2019s not comparable.<\/a> Salespeople can manipulate this tendency, as well. Returning to our example, if the salesperson wants you to purchase a flatscreen but you\u2019re considering a projector as an alternative, they\u2019ll show you Flatscreen A, Flatscreen B, and Projector. Because Flatscreen A and B are similar and thus comparable, your brain dismisses Projector as an option, guiding you to the salesperson\u2019s goal.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What is the contrast effect? Why do people fall for the contrast effect? The contrast effect is a cognitive heuristic: It helps you make judgments faster while expending less energy. Your brain lessens energy usage whenever possible, and the contrast effect helps it conserve cognitive resources. 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