Decoy Effect
- “why is there always a useless middle option”
- “decoy effect pricing explained”
- “how do three tier plans manipulate me”
- “why did I pick the expensive one”
:: COMPARE ::
Decoy effectvsAnchoring
The short answer
Both use a reference point, but anchoring plants a number and drags your estimate toward it, while the decoy plants a whole option and steers which item you pick. Anchoring works with a single irrelevant figure; the decoy needs at least three options and a specific dominance geometry between them.
Side by side
| Aspect | Decoy effect | Anchoring |
|---|---|---|
| Plants | An option | A number |
| Needs | 3+ options | 1 figure |
| Changes | Which you pick | Your estimate |
| Defence | Cross out the dead option | Pre-commit a figure |
Which one you meant
Readers who land here meaning Decoy Effect rather than Anchoring are usually searching for phrases like “why is there always a useless middle option”, “decoy effect pricing explained”, “how do three tier plans manipulate me”.
Read either one in full