Are you fooled?

Quickly try to estimate the answer to the following equation:

1 x 2 x 3 x 4 x 5.

Now, quickly do the same for this equation:

5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1.

Was your answer for the second equation higher?

The answer for both is the same (120, if you're wondering).

But you probably estimated more for question two.

Kahneman and Tversky proved this in a famous 1973 study.

Those who saw the higher number first in the question made a 4x higher estimate.

This is the primacy effect; information presented early has a greater impact than information presented later (Murdock, 1962).

This is why you should think carefully about the information you share.

In group discussions, the first suggestion is the one taken 94% of the time (Invisible Gorilla p.112)
If the first product review is positive, the likelihood of others leaving a positive review goes up by 32% (The Influential Mind p.161)
Ranking first on Google makes politicians 20% more popular (Free Your Mind p.106)

So, first impressions really do count.

Phill

- Tune into Nudge

- Advertise on the newsletter

- Check out my course

Unsubscribe

It was the weirdest ad I'd ever seen | Nudge Newsletter 🧠

The ritual effect. To many, this Stella Artiois ad might seem ridiculous. “THE PURIFICATION: A cold-water bath to chill the chalice and sustain the head of the pour. THE SACRIFICE: The first drops are sacrificed, a small price to ensure the freshest taste. THE LIQUID ALCHEMY: The chalice is held at forty-five degrees for the perfect combination of foam and liquid. THE CROWN: The chalice is gracefully straightened, forming a perfect head and sealing in the freshness. THE REMOVAL: A smooth and...

4 days ago • 1 min read

I finished this email at 2am, I sure hope it's a gem | Nudge Newsletter 🧠

It's rhyme time. Rhymes are strangely powerful. Researchers McGlone and Tofighbakhsh found that rhymes boost believability by 17% Filkukova and Klempe found that rhyming slogans are rated at 22% more accurate. Shotton and Thompson found that rhymes boost recall by 29%. So it's no surprise that Tesco now use rhymes to reassure customers that its reduced produce is still "just as nice". There's not a single reduced item remaining. Clearly, the rhymes are working. But Tesco is hardly alone....

11 days ago • 1 min read

The best embrace flaws | Nudge Newsletter 🧠

Flawless is worthless. Adam Grant shared a study of world-class sculptors in his book Hidden Potential. It turns out that world-class sculptors were average students. 66% graduated high school with Bs and Cs. A similar pattern emerged when comparing America's most influential architects. The great architects had rarely been great students: they typically finished college with a B or C average. Adam Grant writes how, in their quest for flawless results, research suggests that perfectionists...

18 days ago • 1 min read