Now, think of the happiest things. It’s the same as having wings.
Choice is a central tenet of a free society. From the brand of cereal we eat for breakfast, to the answers we give on a survey, or the people we select to be our leaders, we frequently define ourselves by the choices we make. Yet a recent study appearing in the journal Applied Cognitive Psychology suggests that there are factors that can significantly influence our free will without us even knowing it.
In their article ‘Preferring the One in the Middle: Further Evidence for the Centre-stage Effect’, researchers Paul Rodway, Astrid Schepman and Jordana Lambert of the University of Chester, UK analyze three separate but related experiments in which they tested the association between the location of an item in a series and how often that item is selected as preferable over other choices. The results indicate a clear tendency toward favoring items located in the middle of a row – regardless of whether it runs horizontally or vertically. (…)
This research builds on previous studies showing that middle preference is applicable to non-identical items as well as items arranged vertically and those that appear in the form of a questionnaire. More broadly, Rodway concluded, “it’s possible that this preference applies in a range of social contexts, including televised political debates where being in the middle may convey an advantage.”
screenshot { Frederick Wiseman, The Store, 1983 }
