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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Psychology term of the day

January 29th 2025

arousal–performance relationship

the pattern of association between cognitive or physiological arousal (or both) and achievement at physical or cognitive tasks. Also called anxiety–performance relationship. See catastrophe theory; inverted-U hypothesis; reversal theory.