托福口语 Task 3

In behavioral economics, the concept of 'anchoring' refers to the tendency of individuals to rely heavily on the first piece of information they receive (the 'anchor') when making decisions, even if that information is irrelevant or arbitrary. Once an anchor is set, subsequent judgments are made by adjusting away from it, but adjustments are often insufficient, leading to biased outcomes. Anchoring has been observed in various contexts, such as pricing, negotiations, and estimates, and it demonstrates how subtle cues can significantly influence rational decision-making.

Professor: Let me give you an example from a real estate study. Participants were shown a house and asked to estimate its value. Before making their estimate, they were given a random number—say, either 500,000 or 200,000—supposedly from a prior appraisal, but actually it was completely arbitrary. Those who saw the higher number estimated the house at around 450,000, while those who saw the lower number estimated it at around 280,000. In fact, the house was worth about 350,000. So even though the initial number was meaningless, it anchored their thinking. They adjusted from that anchor but not enough. This shows how anchoring can skew our judgment, even for experts in the field.