Numbers & Estimates · interactive demo
Does the First Number Pull Your Estimate?
Try two versions of the same pricing question and see why a starting number can pull later estimates toward it.
Question
Can an arbitrary starting price shift a later estimate even when the product information stays the same?
This is an educational demonstration, not a scientific measurement of you. One response cannot show that a bias caused your choice.
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Random condition
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Evidence-reviewed lens
Anchoring Effect
Anchoring is a well-supported effect in which an initial numerical value can pull a later estimate toward it. A 2026 meta-analysis covering 2,601 effect sizes found a large overall effect, but also substantial variation across studies. The effect should not be treated as a rule that every number changes every judgment: incidental anchors, anchors from a different dimension, clearly random values, incentives, and some debiasing conditions were associated with smaller or null effects.
How to interpret this
The useful comparison is not whether €700 or €1,500 is a good price. It is whether changing only the starting number changes the later estimate.
Better check: Build an independent estimate from comparable products, budget and requirements before looking at the seller's target.