anchor definition | Psychology Dictionary

anchor

n. a reference used when making a series of subjective judgments. For example, in an experiment in which participants gauge distances between objects, the experimenter introduces an anchor by informing the participants that the distance between two of the stimulus objects is a given value. That value then functions as a reference point for participants in their subsequent judgments. Similarly, the options listed for a multiple-choice test item provide an anchor for the test taker to use when answering.

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