Contrast Effect

What is Contrast Effect?

A contrast effect is an enhancement or diminishment, relative to normal, of perception, cognition or
related performance as a result of successive (immediately previous) or simultaneous exposure to
a stimulus of lesser or greater value in the same dimension.

Types of the contrast effect

 Positive contrast effect
 Negative contrast effect

Approach
Recording Social experiment
 Pricing experiment
We have two pictures of two paintings. We will show painting I to a person and ask them
how much do they think it is worth it. Then we show them the real price of the painting.
Next, we will show them painting II and ask them to valuate this painting too. Based on
their exposure to the previous scenario, they will valuate painting II on either similar or
higher price point. But in reality painting, II’s price is 0.00005% of painting I’s price.
This is an example of Positive Contrast Effect.
 Height Experiment
We have a picture of 2 men standing shoulder to shoulder. Man I has a height of 6’4 and
Man II has a height of 6’. We show the picture to random people who don’t know the
men in the picture. We tell them the man on the right is 6’4 and then we ask them how
tall they think the other man is. We found that most of them think he is 5’8-5’10 which is
shorter than his real height. This is an example of Negative Contrast Effect.
 Bucket experiment
We have 3 buckets filled with water. Bucket I has hot water, Bucket II has cold water
and Bucket III has water on room temperature. We ask a random person to dip his right
hand in Bucket I and his left hand in Bucket II simultaneously and ask them to keep it
dipped for 10 seconds. After 10 seconds, we ask him/her to lift their hands from both the
buckets and dip them into Bucket III instantly at the same time. His/Her right hand will
feel that Bucket III has cold water while the left hand will feel that Bucket III has hot
water. This is another example of the Contrast Effect.

Other Ideas
 Screamer videos
 Contrast effect in Shopping behavior
 Software patches

Findings
In a working environment, recruiters generally tend to show the Contrast Effect. They might rate a
candidate high or low based on his interview schedule or performance of other candidates in their
interviews.

Contrast effect should not shadow your decision making in a corporate environment because it
might lead to decisions you otherwise wouldn’t take.