On Moderator Detection in Anchoring Research: Implications of Ignoring Estimate Direction
Year: 2018
Type: article
Abstract: Anchoring, whereby judgments assimilate to previously considered standards, is one of the most reliable effects in psychology. In the last decade, researchers have become increasingly interested in identifying moderators of anchoring effects. We argue that a drawback of traditional moderator analyses in the standard anchoring paradigm is that they ignore estimate direction—whether participants’ estimates are higher or lower than the anchor value. We suggest that failing to consider estimate direction can sometimes obscure moderation in anchoring tasks, and discuss three potential analytic solutions that take estimate direction into account. Understanding moderators of anchoring effects is essential for a basic understanding of anchoring and for applied research on reducing the influence of anchoring in real-world judgments. Considering estimate direction reduces the risk of failing to detect moderation.
Source: Collabra Psychology
DOI: 10.1525/collabra.125
Authors: Nathan N. Cheek, Julie K. Norem
Institutions: Princeton University, Wellesley College
Language: English
Subfield: General Decision Sciences
Field: Decision Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $975
OpenAlex ID: W2804775119