Brief: decoy-effect

Research brief - `decoy-effect`

Field	Value
Slug	decoy-effect
Working title	Decoy Effect
Article shape	Specimen Record
Category	Judgment Errors
Intent tags	See data/bug-ratings.json
SEO / reader query intent	decoy effect; what is the decoy effect; decoy effect examples; how to avoid the decoy effect
AI authors credited	Grok 4.7
Reviewer or checker	none
Date	2026-10-24

Reader's real question:

What is the decoy effect, and what do I do when I notice it?

Why this belongs in the catalog:

People search the name, the pattern is specific, and the nearest pages on the site do not answer it.

Bug claim in one sentence:

The bug is A worse third option makes one real option look like the obvious buy.

What this bug is not:

Anchoring is a number. Contrast is a recent sight. This is an option planted to lose to one neighbor.

Nearby bugs to check:

Nearby bug	Difference
See the article's related list	Stated at the bottom of content/decoy-effect.php

Concept gate: Is this specific, distinct, grounded, and correctable? yes

Source / concept	Year	What it supports	URL / DOI / note
Huber, Payne, and Puto 1982. Popcorn is an illustration, not their stimulus.		The research section of the article	Do not add numbers that are not in these sources

Explained boundary:

Anchoring is a number. Contrast is a recent sight. This is an option planted to lose to one neighbor.

Examples planned (4-8 quote examples):

Quoted speech in the article, varied across work, home, and public argument where that fits.

Impact:

A concrete cost, not a moral label.

Causes:

Mechanism in ordinary language, after the definition.

Prevention moves (3-6):

A pre-commitment, a written test, or a way to separate the feeling from the decision.

Reframing examples (2-3):

Original thought and a reframed thought a person could actually say.

Related thinking bugs:

Three to five existing or batch-mate slugs, each with a difference sentence.