Center Effect: Why we choose products in the middle?

We usually imagine that when we shop we are the ones who decide what to buy and what not to buy. However, there are many factors that influence our decision, some of which usually go unnoticed by us.

Now a study carried out at the University of Chester in the United Kingdom has shown that, when objects are arranged in an array from left to right, we tend to choose the one in the middle. This phenomenon has been called the “Center Effect.”

To demonstrate this trend, the researchers recruited 100 people. These had to answer a questionnaire of 17 questions, the curious thing is that each one included five different images of the same element or type of article (for example, five panoramic views or five frontal views). Each set of images were arranged in a horizontal row.

The participants’ task was to choose their preferred product. At this point, the tendency to choose the elements that were in the center was evident. According to statistics, the objects in the center would have a 20% probability of being chosen; however, they were actually chosen 23% of the time.

Later, the researchers replicated the experiment but this time they placed the objects vertically. Once again, they appreciated the tendency to choose the central product.

Finally, the researchers wanted to test this effect in practice and asked the participants to choose between five pairs of socks (all white and synthetic) that were placed in a row. Once again, the “Center Effect” was present.

Researchers believe this bias can be explained through cultural influence. Why? Because, perhaps unconsciously, we associate the center with greater quality, prestige and success. In fact, our vocabulary is full of phrases in which the word “central” is associated with positive aspects.

The curious thing is that this effect does not only apply to the products we choose daily. In fact, the research arose from previous findings showing that pageant judges tend to overestimate the performance of contestants who appear at the center.

Obviously, the implications of this cognitive bias are many, the same can be applied in the area of ​​Marketing as when presenting ourselves for a job interview.

Reference:

Rodway, P., Schepman, A., and Lambert, J. (2012) Preferring the One in the Middle: Further Evidence for the Center-stage Effect. Applied Cognitive Psychology ; 26 (2): 215-222.