“Business Hacks” of Brain x Psychology [Season 1-5] The more expensive it is, the more “reliable” it looks... The psychology where price influences quality

[Psychological effect this time] Price-Quality Heuristic
[Key point of the effect] A psychological tendency to use price as a clue for quality, making it easier to judge that higher prices mean better quality

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📢 Announcement | I will be entering the Creative Awards 2026

Jiro:
“A-at last...! We have decided to enter our story into the #CreativeAwards2026
#WorkNovelCategory ...!”
I’m so moved that I feel like I’ve grown a little bit even before entering...!”

Hana:
“Grow up after you enter, first (laughs).
But, I want more people to watch over Jiro-kun as he stumbles through his sales work and grows little by little so for a limited time,
I’m releasing “up to Episode 8 of Season 1,” which was planned to be paid content, for free!”

Seiji:
“This story is about Jiro, who, triggered by the doubts and failures he feels in his sales work, gradually deciphers
“the reasons why people’s hearts are moved.””

Dr. Narita:
“Within Jiro’s failures and realizations, there will surely be moments where you think, “This might be true for me too.””

Jiro:
“From here, our story begins.
I’ll probably stumble many times, and Hana-san will retort to me many times...!

But, every time that happens, I want to learn a little bit and grow.
If you think “It’s interesting,” “I’m curious about what happens next,” or “I want to support them,”, it would be a huge encouragement if you could
support us with a Like, comment, or share...!

Please watch over our story together!”

【The goal of this note article】

It’s just expensive, but it somehow looks proper.
It’s easy to brush off such a feeling as “maybe it’s just my imagination,” but it’s actually a very natural movement of the heart.

In Season 1, we have followed how the “appearance” of price changes through initial standards, how numbers look, how comparisons are arranged, and how burdens are shared.

This time, we will go one step further and decipher together, the moment when “expensive = seems good” appears, starting from Jiro’s lack of sleep.

【Introduction】 Jiro buys a pillow that fixes his whole life

Lunch break.
Jiro came to work with both a slightly proud face and a face that was clearly sleep-deprived.

Hana:
“What’s wrong?”
“You have the face of someone who “bought something expensive but whose energy hasn’t caught up yet” today.”

Jiro:
“...Yes.”
“Very much so...”

Seiji:
“Did something happen?”

Jiro:
“I went to buy a pillow the other day, but...”
“There was a 4,000 yen one and a 20,000 yen one lined up...”

Hana:
“Uh-huh.”

Jiro:
“I thought the 4,000 yen one was ‘well, pretty standard’...”
“But the moment I saw the 20,000 yen one, I felt like, ‘This is going to get my whole life in order...’”

Hana:
“There it is, the ‘get my whole life in order’ thing (laughs).”

Jiro:
“Yes...!”
“I fell in love at first sight right there and bought it...!”

Hana:
“But you’re sleep-deprived right now, aren’t you?”

Jiro:
“Yes...”
“The first night, I was so nervous I couldn’t sleep at all...”

Hana:
“It was so expensive that you got intimidated by it instead (laughs).”

Jiro:
“That’s right...”
“Right there in the store, I felt like, ‘This is going to put my sleep into serious mode...!’ but...”
“When night came, I thought, ‘Wait, am I even worthy of this pillow...?’”

Hana:
“Don’t suddenly bring spirituality into your compatibility with a pillow (laughs).”
“But I kind of get it.”
“Just because something is expensive, it starts to look like it’s ‘proper’ or ‘effective.’”

Seiji:
“Yeah, that’s a very natural reaction.”
“You’re probably experiencing the price-quality heuristic.”

Jiro:
“Price-quality heuristic...?”
“It sounds like some kind of cucumber stick, sounds delicious...!”

Hana:
“Don’t suddenly go in the direction of food (laughs).”

[Terminology Explanation] Why does that happen?

Seiji:
“The price-quality heuristic is a mental process where people tend to use price as a cue for quality.”
“In other words, when people see a price, they are prone to feeling that ‘if it’s expensive, it might be good.’”

Jiro:
“If it’s expensive... it might be good...”

Seiji:
“Exactly.”
“In reality, there are many things you should properly look at, like materials, durability, and support.”
“But when the differences are hard to tell right away, the brain tends to use price as a landmark.”

Hana:
“I see...!”
“Since you couldn’t see all the real differences in the pillow right there, the idea that ‘expensive equals good’ took the lead for you, Jiro.”

Seiji:
“Yeah, that’s exactly it.”
“Price isn’t just a number; it’s easily perceived as a ‘hint of value.’”

Jiro:
“Then I...”
“Instead of looking at the 20,000 yen pillow itself...”
“I was looking at the sense of security that ‘if it’s 20,000 yen, it must be proper’...”

Hana:
“That way of putting it is very fitting for today.”
“But you’re very close.”

Seiji:
“Yeah.”
“However, the important thing here is that it’s not about ‘if you make it expensive, it will sell.’”
“It’s not that being expensive has value in itself, but that price is easily used as a hint for quality.”

Jiro:
"I see...!"
"So, it's not about pushing it by saying 'It's expensive!'..."
"It's about whether or not the 'reason for that price' is visible...!"

Seiji:
"Yeah, that's a pretty good understanding."

[Sales Application] How does this work in sales?

Little by little, the conversation about the pillow in Jiro's mind begins to connect to his work.

Hana:
"That seems like it would happen a lot in sales, too."

Seiji:
"Yeah, it happens quite often."
"Especially with services where the differences are hard to see, or with proposals where people don't want to make a mistake."

Hana:
"That's true."
"Even though it should be helpful if it's cheaper, there are times when people ask, 'It's cheap, but will it be okay?'"

Seiji:
"Exactly."
"That's why what's important in sales isn't just showing the price."
"What is the reason for this price? What kind of peace of mind does it lead to? You have to show that part together."

Jiro:
"That's true...!"
"So, sales isn't about pushing it by saying 'It's good because it's expensive'..."

Hana:
"That way of thinking is pretty close."

Seiji:
"Yeah."
"It's important to convey 'why it's that price.'"
"For example, that the support is thorough, that it's designed to be used for a long time, or that it reduces the hassle after implementation."
"When people can see that 'meaning of the price,' it becomes easier for them to choose with peace of mind."

Jiro:
"I'm starting to see it...!"
"It's not about ending with 'It's expensive,' but connecting it to 'The reason it's expensive is because of this,' which makes it easier for them to feel reassured...!"

Seiji:
"Yeah, that's right."

[Case Study] This is what it looks like in the field

From here on, we will look at how the price-quality heuristic works in the field, changing the scenery little by little.
The point this time is that rather than the high price itself, the price is easily perceived as a 'clue to quality and peace of mind.'

[Case 1] When you chose an expensive rice cooker at an appliance store because it 'seemed good,' but it didn't fit how you use it.

Hana:
"This happens a lot at appliance stores, too."
"The more expensive one just has that 'it seems like the real deal' vibe."

Jiro:
"It does...!"
"Actually, I did exactly that the other day..."

Hana:
"Oh, so this is Jiro's personal experience."

Jiro:
"When I went to look at rice cookers, there was a slightly more expensive model..."
"I thought, 'This one seems to really respect every single grain of rice...' and I fell in love at first sight and bought it..."

Hana:
"You're not looking at the rice cooker's personality (laughs)."

Jiro:
"But when I got home and looked, that rice cooker was the type that excels at carefully cooking just one cup at a time..."
"I like to eat a good amount, so I actually would have preferred one that could cook three or five cups quickly..."

Hana:
"That's the first thing you should look at (laughs)."

Jiro:
"Yes..."
"And besides, I spend every night waiting too long for the rice to finish cooking..."
"Lately, rice has even been appearing in my dreams..."

Hana:
"That much!?"
"You've gone past just waiting for rice; you're pretty much in love with it now (laughs)."

Seiji:
"But that's a very important point."
"I think Jiro was using 'expensive equals reliable' as his guide here."
"However, 'looking reliable' and 'being right for you' are not the same thing."

Jiro:
"Wow... that's really true..."
"I was satisfied thinking I had chosen a 'good one,' but..."
"I didn't really look at whether it fit my lifestyle..."

Seiji:
"Yeah."
"So what's important isn't just looking at whether 'more expensive is better,' but also looking at whether that quality is necessary for you."

Jiro:
"My perspective was off...!"
"I shouldn't choose based on 'it looks good,' but rather look at whether it's a quality that suits me...!"

[Case 2] When you buy a luxury ballpoint pen and feel like even your handwriting is becoming neater

Jiro:
"I had a similar experience with stationery..."

Hana:
"What did you buy this time? (laughs)"

Jiro:
"A luxury ballpoint pen."
"A regular ballpoint pen was about 200 yen, but there was an 8,000 yen pen sitting next to it..."

Hana:
"That's quite a difference."

Jiro:
"It is."
"But the moment I saw it, I thought, 'If I write with this, even my handwriting will look beautiful...'"

Hana:
"Please don't make the ballpoint pen responsible for your penmanship (laughs)."

Jiro:
"But it really was different from the moment I held it."
"It was like, even before I wrote anything, my hand looked a bit like that of a professional..."

Hana:
"Only your hand is getting a promotion ahead of you."

Jiro:
"So, I tried taking notes during a meeting..."
"And even though it was my own handwriting, I felt like it looked a bit neater..."

Hana:
"The evaluation of the ballpoint pen has completely gone up, hasn't it?"

Jiro:
"Yes..."
"And that day, I was writing more slowly than usual."
"I felt bad about showing sloppy handwriting with a high-end ballpoint pen..."

Hana:
"You're starting to be careful with your ballpoint pen (laughs)."

Seiji:
"This is also a situation where the price-quality heuristic is at play."
"When you see an expensive ballpoint pen, you're more likely to feel that it will 'write smoothly' or 'help you write better.'"
"Sometimes it is actually easier to use, but the moment you see the price, your expectations can run ahead of reality."

Jiro:
"That's true..."
"Even before I started writing, I thought, 'I can do this with this pen'..."

Seiji:
"Yeah."
"The important thing is to see if it's truly easy for you to use after you've felt that 'it seems good because it's expensive.'"
"Price is a hint for judgment, but if you decide based solely on that, your expectations can run ahead of you."

Hana:
"In Jiro's case, his feelings were running ahead of the ballpoint pen."

Jiro:
"Yes..."
"But when I write with that ballpoint pen, I still feel like my handwriting has improved just a little bit..."

Hana:
"Let's keep the possibility that it's just your imagination in mind (laughs)."

[Case 3] When you buy high-end tissues, they are too expensive to use, and before you know it, you've deified them

Jiro:
"Also, this happened with tissues too..."

Hana:
"With tissues?"

Jiro:
"Yes..."
"Regular tissues were about 200 yen, but there were some very high-end looking tissues selling for 600 yen."

Hana:
"I know the ones, the ones that look elegant even from the box."

Jiro:
"That's right."
"The moment I saw them, I thought, 'These look like they would be polite to my nose...'"

Hana:
"Don't look for humanity in tissues (laughs)."

Jiro:
"But don't expensive tissues seem gentle on the skin even before you use them...?"
"Compared to regular tissues, it feels like, 'Excuse me, I will protect your nose...'"

Hana:
"That's a very polite tissue."

Jiro:
"So I bought them, but..."
"When I got home, they were so high-end that I couldn't bring myself to use them..."

Hana:
"You bought them to use them, right?"

Jiro:
"Yes..."
"But every time I go to use one, I feel like saying, 'Thank you very much...'"
"Before I knew it, I was displaying them on my desk."

Hana:
Please don't deify the tissues (laughs).

Jiro:
The box had such a strong presence...
Just having it there made me feel like the air in the room became a bit more refined...

Hana:
You're even letting the tissues handle the interior design (laughs).

Seiji:
This is also a very easy-to-understand example.
Things like texture and comfort are aspects you can't really know until you actually use them.
That's why price and packaging easily become clues that make us think, 'This must be good.'

Jiro:
That's true...
Even before using them, I had already decided they were very high-quality tissues...

Seiji:
Yeah.
Of course, there are often reasons why things are expensive.
But it's important to distinguish between feeling 'it must be good because it's expensive' and 'the quality is something I truly need.'

Hana:
In Jiro's case, he's already using them as decoration before even knowing if he needs them.

Jiro:
Yes...
Even now, they are watching over me quietly on my desk...

Hana:
You really are deifying them (laughs).

[Case 4] When you buy premium eggs and end up cherishing them too much, beyond just thinking they look delicious

Jiro:
Actually, I had a similar experience when I was a student...

Hana:
What did you do this time? (laughs)

Jiro:
At the supermarket, regular eggs were 198 yen, and premium eggs were 980 yen.
At that time, I thought, 'Expensive eggs must be absolutely delicious!' and bought them.

Hana:
I can totally understand that part.

Jiro:
But when I got home, I thought, 'I can't just eat these carelessly...'
I wanted to eat them at the perfect moment.

Hana:
You have too much emotional attachment to eggs (laughs).

Jiro:
So, I kept thinking, 'Today is too early,' 'Maybe tomorrow morning would be better,' 'No, for a more special day...'
Before I knew it, I had been keeping them warm for a long time.

Hana:
You're basically a mother hen now (laughs).

Jiro:
And then one day, a chick was born, believe it or not...

Hana:
The story went from eating them to raising them.

Jiro:
And it kept getting bigger than I thought...
It started chirping in my apartment, and the landlord got really angry at me...

Hana:
Well, of course they'd be angry (laughs).

Jiro:
So, I had no choice but to leave it at my grandfather's farm.

Hana:
It went from a premium egg to a farm project.

Seiji:
But I can kind of understand why Jiro cared for it so much.
Just because something is expensive, it's easy to feel like 'it must be good'.

Jiro:
That's true...
Even before I ate it, I had already decided it would be delicious...

Seiji:
Yeah.
This is the price-quality heuristic.
When people see something expensive, they tend to feel that the quality of the contents is also high.
Of course, sometimes the quality really is high.
But what's important is not to decide just because 'it's expensive so it must be good,' but to look at what kind of value it has for you.

Jiro:
By the way, that little one is living happily on my grandfather's farm now...

Hana:
Don't try to end this like it's a heartwarming story.

Jiro:
I got a photo sent to me the other day, but...
Isn't it bigger than my grandfather...?

Hana:
Wait, let me see.
...This isn't a chicken, it's an ostrich.

Jiro:
What...

Hana:
Before the price, you should have checked the species (laughs).

Jiro:
No wonder I thought it was a bit bigger than the eggs around it...

Hana:
You should have noticed that when you bought it (laughs).

[Case 5] When you suddenly feel anxious after choosing a super cheap flight

Finally, here is a case with a slightly different vibe.
Up until now, we've talked about how seeing expensive things makes them feel 'good'.
But conversely, seeing things that are too cheap can sometimes make you feel 'a little anxious'.

Jiro:
Actually, I have more...

Hana:
Wait, there's more!? (laughs)

Jiro:
When I was booking a flight, I was torn between a regular flight and a very cheap one...
At that time, I thought, 'The cheap one is good enough!' and chose the super cheap flight.

Hana:
"Yeah, yeah."

Jiro:
"But, when I was sitting in front of the gate on the day of departure, suddenly..."
"I started feeling anxious, thinking, 'Wait, wouldn't it have been better to go with the more expensive one...?'"

Hana:
"There it is (laughs)."
"You didn't feel that way after deciding, but right before boarding, huh?"

Jiro:
"Yes..."
"And at the moment of takeoff, I suddenly thought, 'What if something happens? I should have chosen the more expensive one...' My mind was getting really busy..."

Hana:
"Even though you chose it because it was cheap, the need for peace of mind caught up with you later, didn't it?"

Seiji:
"This is also a situation where price serves as a clue for peace of mind."
"For things like airplanes, where you can't fully see all the differences yourself, price easily leads to the impression that it's 'likely to be reliable.'"

Jiro:
"Wow... is that what it is..."
"I thought I decided because it was 'cheap and a good deal,' but..."
"In reality, I was also quite concerned about whether I could feel 'at ease' with it..."

Hana:
"That seems very likely."
"Even though being cheap should be a good thing, there are times when you suddenly feel insecure, aren't there?"

Jiro:
"Yes..."
"And after that, I kept feeling restless, thinking, 'I should have chosen the more expensive one...' but..."

Hana:
"Hmm...?"

Jiro:
"Including all of that, it was all a dream..."

Hana:
"It was a dream!? (laughs)"

Seiji:
"But it's interesting, isn't it?"
"I think price and peace of mind were so linked that you even thought 'the more expensive one might have been more reassuring' in your dream."

Hana:
"That's true."
"We really do look at price as a hint that something is 'likely to be reliable.'"

[Theoretical Reinforcement] Dr. Narita's Reinforcement

Dr. Narita, who had been listening to the conversation so far, nodded slightly.
Rice cookers, ballpoint pens, tissues, eggs, and even the airplane dream all connect to the same place somewhere.

Dr. Narita:
"Hmm. Today, the mental movement of 'the more expensive one looks more reliable' was clearly visible."

Hana:
"That's true..."
"We were quite naturally drawn to the idea that 'expensive equals good.'"

Dr. Narita:
"Indeed. But that doesn't mean your judgment is particularly weak."
"When people's brains cannot see the differences in detail, they try to make judgments based on 'easy-to-understand clues.'"

Seiji:
"And one of those clues is price, isn't it?"

Dr. Narita:
That's exactly right.
The price-quality heuristic is a mental shortcut where price becomes an easy-to-use cue for quality and peace of mind.

Jiro:
So that's why I, with expensive pillows, rice cookers, ballpoint pens, and tissues...
I was looking at the ones that 'seemed more reliable' first...

Dr. Narita:
Indeed.
This tendency is especially strong for things where quality is hard to verify in advance, things you don't want to fail at, and things that require knowledge to compare.
That is why people also easily feel that 'higher prices might be more reassuring'.

Hana:
That's true.
The harder something is to see, the more likely we are to think 'the more expensive one seems more reliable,' right?

Dr. Narita:
Indeed.
So, what's important in sales isn't 'tricks to make things look expensive'.
It's about organizing the price in a way that allows the other person to understand the meaning behind it with peace of mind.

Seiji:
Yeah.
If you just present a price, it gets filled in by imagination, but when the reason is visible, it turns into conviction.

Dr. Narita:
That's right.
Price is not just a number.
Sometimes people layer quality, trust, and peace of mind onto it.
That is why those who can gently explain 'why it is that price' are better at clearing up the other person's hesitation.

Jiro:
So that's what it is...!
I've been looking at things in terms of 'expensive or cheap' until now...
I should be thinking about 'why it looks that way' too...!

Dr. Narita:
Indeed.
Looking at a price isn't just about looking at a number.
It's also about seeing what you feel behind it.

[Summary] Today's Takeaway

Let's go over today's discussion one last time together.

Hana:
Looking at this in the flow of Season 1, it's really elegant how we've entered the topic of 'how to perceive value' here.
We started with the initial criteria, how numbers look, how they are arranged, how the burden is shared...
And now, the price itself is being seen as a 'hint for quality and peace of mind'.

Seiji:
Yeah, that's right.
From Season 1-1 to 1-4, we've been gradually refining 'how price looks', right?
This time, as the next step, we're looking at how 'price even influences the impression of value'.

Jiro:
I see it now...!
So today wasn't so much about 'expensive vs. cheap'...
It was about 'what kind of peace of mind or impression the price leads to'...!

Seiji:
Yeah, that's a great understanding.

Hana:
It's very natural to feel that 'expensive equals reliable' even for the same product.
That's why I think it's important for the seller not to rely on that, but to properly convey 'why it is that price'.

Jiro:
Yes...!
I was only looking at 'how much it costs'...
But when it connects to 'why it is that price', it becomes easier to choose with peace of mind...!

Seiji:
Yeah, just having that perspective will significantly change how your proposals are received.

Hana:
Jiro, you really became someone who 'connects meaning to price' today.

Jiro:
Really...!
I'm so glad...!
I almost ended up being someone who just gives off an expensive vibe all the time...!

Hana:
"That's not sales anymore, that's staging (laughs)."

Jiro:
"That's certainly true..."
"But today, I really understood that it's more important to 'convey the reasons that lead to peace of mind' rather than 'making it look expensive'...!"

Seiji:
"Yeah, that's spot on."

Hana:
"Haven't you all ever chosen something because you thought, 'It's more expensive, so it must be better'?"
"Looking back, I feel like there are quite a few situations where, rather than 'looking at the quality,' I might have been 'buying peace of mind with the price.'"

Jiro:
"If you have, what kind of things made you feel that way..."
"I'd love for you to tell me in the comments...!"

"Even if it's a story that went a bit too far like mine, it's very welcome...!"

[A one-sentence summary for readers to take away]

Price is not just a number.
People tend to project hints of quality and peace of mind onto it.
Therefore, what's important in sales is not 'making it look expensive,' but conveying 'why it is that price' in a way that leads to peace of mind.

[*Limited Time: Click here for free Season 1 articles*]

☑️ Click here for the next episode
Season 1-6. "Does the 'loss' of not buying push you to act!? The trap of impatience that moves the heart"

{Loss Aversion Bias}

A psychological tendency where, for the same amount of money, one feels the pain of loss more strongly than the joy of gain, making it easier to make quick decisions.