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Because most people want to look reasonable at a job interview. However, one thing people miss is that the anchoring can be to any number whatsoever, so you do
by kulkarnic 17y ago
Because most people want to look reasonable at a job interview.
However, one thing people miss is that the anchoring can be to any number whatsoever, so you don't even need to talk about what you want per hour. I remember a paper that asked participants to note down the last two digits of their social security, and subjects anchored themselves to that (statistically significantly- one of the authors was Dan Ariely).
So, at the job interview, I am guessing just saying "You know, at my previous company, they had 98,000 employees" could anchor the interviewer to that number. Of course, this anchoring would be weaker than "$1M", but you could cut out the embarrassment bit.
- angkec 17y agothat's the best advice I've seen in while. Definitely gonna try this in my next job interview!
- neilc 17y agoI remember a paper that asked participants to note down the last two digits of their social security, and subjects anchored themselves to that (statistically significantly- one of the authors was Dan Ariely). Do you have a link? I am very skeptical that merely tossing out large-sounding numbers during an interview would have any influence on your likely salary range. In situations like that, your potential employer usually has a preconceived idea of what a "reasonable" salary for the position is; intuitively, you'd need to make a fairly strong suggestion to get them to anchor on a different figure (rather than, say, the salary they are already paying to other employees in a similar job function).
- kulkarnic 17y agoHere you go: http://www.cepr.org/meets/wkcn/3/3509/Papers/Ariely.pdf http://www.cepr.org/meets/wkcn/3/3509/Papers/Ariely.pdf Btw, note that initial anchors grossly affect the decision; subsequent anchors are less effective. So, if the interviewer already has a figure in mind (or worse, has written it down), then you really have a lower chance of swaying the number. "making a fairly strong suggestion" may not move the anchor much. However, if neither knows a reasonable number, then any anchoring is significant (including numbers not pre-pended with a dollar sign- Kahnenann's 1974 paper).
- PanMan 17y agoIt wasn't just naming a large number: It was taking a random number (last 2 social security digits), writing it down with a $ in front, compare it as price to certain products, and THEN bidding on them. Not just naming a big number. It's in one of his 2 TED talks, which both are great to watch.
- atlbeer 17y agoWhich Ted talks are you referring to? edit - (Just realized you were referring to Dan Ariely)
- kulkarnic 17y agoSimilar effects have been seen for non-dollar figures: people anchor to numbers on Wheel of Fortune, for instance (Kahneman's 1974 paper). However, this anchoring is definitely weaker, so your point is taken.