Last blog we defined two different types of thinking systems in your brain. We utilised two famous animated characters to identify them; Wallace and Gromit (from Aardman Animations). For a recap click here
Wallace has constructed many short-cuts to attempt to solve problems in our world. One short-cut that Wallace loves to utilise repeatedly is known as Anchoring.
The Anchoring Short-cut
When Wallace needs to make a judgement under uncertainty, he reaches for past information and uses it as an anchor to find a solution to the current problem. Anchoring present events around past information in this way creates a great short-cut for making decisions resourcefully.
Think of Anchoring as the 'rule-of-thumb' short-cut. An example would be picking fruit at the supermarket. Wallace will always ensure we pick the fruit that has the best colour and scent because that is our 'rule-of-thumb' for tasty fruit, colour and scent. We depend on Wallace's Anchoring short-cut for most of our daily decisions; from estimating how much time something will take to how much money a pair of jeans will cost. All of our decisions hinge on what has happened before.
Unfortunately, Wallace struggles to ignore these snippets of biasing past information that he uses to make current decisions. Wallace relies on them; and it is this reliance that often results in Wallace making slip-ups.
The Tribulations of Anchoring
In one study, researchers asked a group of students to volunteer at a summer camp for two hours a week for two years. All the students said no. The researchers then proceeded to ask the same group of students if they wanted to volunteer for a single two hour trip. Half of the students said yes. However, when the researchers asked a second group of students the same questions, without asking for the two-year commitment, only 17% agreed. This shows that it is the initial information that greatly influences all of the choices that follow. Wallace realises that the second option is far better than the anchor so is more likely to go ahead with it.
Another example of the negative effects of Anchoring can be seen in business settings. If a team leader asks its staff whether they can increase production by 30% in a certain area, his/her staff will then use that "30%" as an anchor. The team leader has planted the seed of "30%" which will be difficult for the staff to erase, due to their own Wallace. This anchor could then lead to negative knock-on effects in other areas of the staffs work. For example, when reporting future production rates the staff are likely to state a figure close to 30%.
Hoisting the Anchor
The Anchoring short-cut is similar to a double-edged sword; it has its benefits but also its problems. However, there are ways to smooth out one of the sides of Anchoring; allowing us to rely more on our good trusty friend Gromit, the rational thinker.
Research demonstrates that it is difficult for us to challenge Wallace's short-cuts if we have had a period of mental strain e.g. a long meeting or stressful day. This is due to the fact that we can only hold so much mental load before Wallace takes over and starts taking short-cuts.
"just after your cup of coffee"
To amend this, simply arrange tasks that require heavy mental effort (car insurance, emails) to the beginning of the day, or just after your cup of coffee. This ensures that you can use up your jar of mental energy to complete these difficult tasks without having to slip into Wallace mode and rely on your Anchoring short-cuts.
Wallace will also turn on your Anchoring short-cuts if you are feeling under pressure. It is often very difficult to evade/escape the horrible feeling of pressure. However, you can take time to reflect on the aspects of the decisions confronting you. Try to mentally analyse similar past decisions and what the most successful outcomes were. Even in situations where action must be taken immediately, slow your thought process down to prevent your Wallace jumping to a quick and ineffective solution that could ultimately make the situation worse.
In the next nudgeUP blog, we will broaden our horizons and explore how we can use motivation to trick our Wallace and encourage our favoured Gromit into action.
Edited by Kathryn Francis, PhD Fellow, MSc Psychological Research, BSc Psychology
Research by Catalan, Lewis, Vincent and Wheeler, in 1975
