Brain x Psychology 'Business Hacks' [Season 1-1] The Decision Standard is Set at the 'First Move'!? The Magic of Prices Where High Costs Disappear

[Psychological Effect in this Episode] Anchoring Effect
[Key Point of the Effect] A psychological effect where the first number you see becomes the standard, making subsequent prices feel cheaper.

☑️ Click here for character settings and the blueprint for the total 200 episodes

📢 Announcement | I will be entering the Creative Awards 2026

Jiro:
Finally...! We have decided to enter our story into the #CreativeAwards2026
#WorkNovelCategory!
I'm so nervous, I feel like I'm going to start talking to the Creative Awards like, 'Thank you for your valuable time today...'!

Hana:
You're not starting a business negotiation with the Creative Awards (laughs).
But, I want more people to watch over Jiro-kun as he stumbles and grows little by little in his sales job, so for a limited time,
I'm making 'up to Episode 8 of Season 1', which was planned to be paid content, available for free!

Seiji:
This story is about Jiro, who, triggered by the doubts and failures he experiences in his sales job,
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 happen to me too'.

Jiro:
Our story begins here.
I'll probably stumble many times, and Hana-san will call me out on it many times...!

But, every time that happens, I want to learn a little bit and grow.
If you think 'This is 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 likes, comments, and shares!

Please watch over our story with us!

[The Goal of this Note Article]

'Does the first price you see really have that much influence?'
We will explore that feeling together through Jiro's failure this time.

In this first episode of Season 1,
we will look at how people seem to be looking at prices as they are, but are actually being heavily influenced by the 'initial standard'.

[Introduction] Jiro, his heart taken by numbers

Lunch break.
Jiro came up to the two of them with an indescribable expression.

Jiro:
'Hana-san, Seiji-san... do you have a moment...'

Hana:
'What's wrong?'
'You have the look of someone who just came to their senses after shopping.'

Jiro:
'...Yes.'
'Very much so...'

Seiji:
'Did something happen?'

Jiro:
'I went to buy a suit the other day...'
'I think, that day, my heart was taken by numbers...'

Hana:
'What's with that somewhat literary way of putting it (laughs).'
'What do you mean?'

Jiro:
“I saw a 180,000 yen suit first...”
“At that moment, I thought, ‘Wow... adults are amazing...’”

Hana:
“Don’t suddenly climb the ladder of life just because you saw the price (laughs).”

Jiro:
“Yes...”
“And then, when I saw a 68,000 yen suit after that...”
“For some reason, that one suddenly looked kind to me...”

Hana:
“That one!?”
“Don’t anthropomorphize the suit (laughs).”

Jiro:
“I’m sorry... but it really was kind...”
“It was like, ‘It’s not quite 180,000 yen, but I can manage it...’”

Hana:
“Why does the suit sound so insecure too (laughs)?”
“Also, it’s too accommodating to you, Jiro.”

Seiji:
“So, you bought it?”

Jiro:
“Yes...!”

Jiro:
“At the time, I bought it with a face that said, ‘Actually, this is a good purchase’...”
“But when I got home and looked at the receipt, I thought, ‘No, this is definitely expensive...’”

Hana:
“Ah~~, that happens!”
“It happens so much!”
“Inside the store, you’re the ‘convinced version of yourself.’”
“Yet, the moment you get home and put the bag on the table, you suddenly go, ‘Wait, what?’”
“If anything, the most level-headed you are all day is under the lights in your own home.”
“I bet there are a lot of people thinking, ‘I get that...’”

Jiro:
“Exactly...!”
“On the train, I was a slightly distinguished adult...”
“But once I took off my shoes at the entrance, I gradually returned to my normal self...”

Hana:
“The magic wearing off at the entrance is too real (laughs).”

Seiji:
“Yeah, that’s actually quite natural.”
“It’s likely the anchoring effect at work.”

Jiro:
“The anchoring effect...?”
“Is that a slightly smarter relative of the onion ring?”

Hana:
“Stay away from the fried food world (laughs).”
“And what do you mean by ‘slightly smarter’?”

[Term Explanation] Why did that happen?

Seiji:
“The names are similar, but it’s not a relative of the onion ring (laughs).”
“The anchoring effect is a psychological phenomenon where the first number you see becomes a standard, changing how you perceive subsequent prices.”

Jiro:
“The first number I saw... becomes the standard...”

Seiji:
“Exactly.”
“In reality, 68,000 yen might be quite expensive if you look at it on its own.”
“But because you saw 180,000 yen before that, it became easier to view it as ‘cheaper than 180,000 yen.’”

Hana:
“I see...!”
“It’s not that 68,000 yen suddenly became cheap, but that Jiro’s ‘ruler’ had already moved first.”

Seiji:
Yes, exactly.

Jiro:
Then I...
It's not so much that I bought a suit, but that my yardstick was moved beforehand...
Wait, is 'moved' not quite right...?

Hana:
Close, very close (laughs).
But I really understand what you mean.

Seiji:
Yeah, your way of thinking is close.
People don't always look at prices just as absolute values.
They use the first number they see as a foundation, and after that, it's easy to feel things are 'expensive,' 'cheap,' or 'more manageable than I thought.'

Jiro:
'More manageable than I thought'...
That was exactly me...!
I really felt like I could handle it...!

Hana:
That 'feeling like you can handle it' is the most dangerous part.
Usually, later on, you end up thinking, 'Maybe I couldn't actually handle it.'

Jiro:
Yes...
I'm right in the middle of that realization now...

Seiji:
For example, if you see 68,000 yen after seeing 30,000 yen, you might easily feel it's 'expensive.'
But if you see it after seeing 180,000 yen, it's easy to think, 'Oh, this might still be manageable.'

Hana:
The numbers are the same, but the way they're perceived changes, doesn't it?

Seiji:
Exactly.
Depending on what you see first, the impression of what you see later changes.
That is the anchoring effect.

Jiro:
Somehow... even though prices are just numbers...
I'm looking at them with my feelings more than I thought...

[Sales Application] How does this work in sales?

Little by little, Jiro's thoughts on shopping are connecting to his work.

Seiji:
Yes.
That's why in sales, what's important isn't 'how to talk someone into it,' but setting up 'how the other person compares and views things.'

Hana:
Not 'how to talk them into it,' but 'how to make it easier to compare'...
That gives a very different impression.

Seiji:
That's right.
This difference is huge.

Jiro:
I see...!
Then for my next business meeting, should I show a slightly higher-priced plan first...?

Hana:
Close (laughs).
That just turns into 'I should just put out something expensive.'

Jiro:
Ah...!
I'm sorry... I was rushing to conclusions again...!

Seiji:
But you're close.
What's important isn't just 'showing something expensive' itself.
It's that the other person can choose while comparing the differences.

Jiro:
"While comparing the differences..."

Seiji:
"Right."
"What makes this one more comprehensive? What makes the main option just right?"
"When the order allows them to see that, the other party can feel at ease and make a decision more easily."

Jiro:
"I see...!"
"So, rather than trying to make them think, 'Wow, that looks expensive!'..."
"It's more important to make them think, 'Oh, I see the difference!'..."

Seiji:
"Yeah, that's a great understanding."

Hana:
"You managed to come back properly today (laughs)."

Jiro:
"Thank you...!"
"If I were alone, I probably would have just run with, 'So I should just present the expensive one!'...!"

Hana:
"Yeah, that was pretty dangerous (laughs)."

[Case Study] What it looks like in the field

From here on, we will look at how the anchoring effect works in actual field situations, using 5 compatible scenarios.
Even with the same effect, the way 'what serves as the standard' is perceived changes little by little as the situation changes.

[Case 1] When a business negotiation stalls because the main plan is met with 'That's expensive' from the start

Seiji:
"Alright, let's apply this to the field."

Jiro:
"Yes...!"
"This time, I'll receive it calmly...!"

Hana:
"Jiro-kun, you usually trip up on the next step whenever you make that declaration (laughs)."

Seiji:
"For example, suppose you only show the main plan right away in a corporate negotiation."
"The content is solid, and the price is reasonable."
"But if the other party's first response is, 'Hmm, that's a bit expensive,' what do you think is happening?"

Hana:
"Is it because there's no standard for comparison yet, so that price alone is standing out?"

Seiji:
"Yeah, that's right."
"They don't have a 'ruler' yet."
"That's why the price alone is easily perceived as heavy."

Jiro:
"Then... if I have them look at a higher-tier plan first..."
"The main plan will be seen not as 'just something expensive,' but as 'something easier to choose from among those compared,' right...?"

Seiji:
"Yeah, that's a very good point."

Jiro:
"I'm glad...!"
"For a second, I almost said, 'Super-Ultra-Mega Peace of Mind Plan'...!"

Hana:
"Careful, careful (laughs)."
"Just from the name, it sounds suspicious instead.""

Seiji:
"It's not about making it sound strong with a name, it's about making it clear what the differences are."
"For example, the premium plan includes more support sessions after implementation."
"The main plan includes all the necessary features, with standard support."
"When you have a foundation for comparison like that from the start, it becomes easier for the other party to think not just about 'expensive or cheap,' but about 'which one suits me better.'"

Jiro:
"Oh...!"
"It's not about 'showing them something expensive,' it's about 'setting a foundation where the differences are visible' first...!"

Hana: "Yeah, that was pretty good, Jiro."
"You're having a higher rate of doing things right today."

Jiro:
"Really...?"
"Then, am I at the level of a 'newbie worth watching over' now...?"

Hana:
"Hmm..."
"Right now, you're at the level where I'd want to install a monitoring app."

Jiro:
"So I'm still in need of monitoring..."

[Case 2] When setting the axis of comparison with the current contract first for someone considering switching from another company

The atmosphere is a little different here.
Here, the foundation for judgment is not 'what to buy new,' but 'how it compares to the current state.'

Seiji:
"Next, let's look at a situation with someone considering a switch from another company."

Hana:
"Oh, that definitely happens."
"They're already in a state where their current contract is the standard, right?"

Seiji:
"Exactly."
"Someone thinking about switching isn't looking at our proposal in isolation; they're often looking at it in terms of 'how it compares to what I'm using now.'"

Jiro:
"Then..."
"No matter how good of a thing we say, the 'current contract' is the yardstick in their head, right...?"

Seiji:
"Yes, that's a great understanding."

Hana:
"Certainly, they look at whether it's 'cheap or expensive' and 'convenient or not' by comparing it to their current contract."

Seiji:
"That's why what's important in this situation is not to ignore the criteria the other party already has."
"Someone thinking about switching already has the 'current contract' as a yardstick in their head."
"If you properly bring out 'what they are paying for now, how much, and where the dissatisfaction lies' before comparing, your proposal will be easier to accept."

Jiro:
"I see...!"
"In this situation, rather than us setting a new standard..."
"It's about properly aligning and looking at the standard they already have...!"

Hana: "Yeah, that way it feels much less like a hard sell."

Seiji:
"Right."
"The anchoring effect, in situations like this, also leads to properly handling the 'criteria the other party already has.'"

Jiro:
"I kind of..."
"I thought a sales meeting for switching was a battle of persuasion..."
"But it's about aligning the 'foundation for comparison' first...!"

[Case 3] When the main room looks realistic after seeing the most expensive room after a real estate viewing]

Hana:
“This happens with real estate viewings, too, doesn't it?”
“You know, when you see a ‘pretty nice room’ first, and then your actual top choice suddenly looks realistic.”

Seiji:
“It does.”
“And in that situation, it’s very easy for the ‘what you see first becomes the standard’ effect to kick in.”

Jiro:
“I get it...!”
“When you see a spacious, clean room first, then afterwards you’re like, ‘Oh, this one is still manageable...!’”

Hana:
“‘Still manageable’—that phrasing is funny (laughs).”
“But I totally get the feeling.”

Seiji:
“In that moment, people aren't looking at the second or third properties in isolation; they’re looking at them with the first room as their standard.”
“That’s why that first property is more significant than you might think.”
“That one property can gradually shift the ‘sense of reality’ for everything that follows.”

Jiro:
“I see...!”
“Even if you think it’s ‘just the first one you saw,’ it stays with you for a long time...!”

Hana:
“That sounds like something from today’s episode.”

Seiji:
“Yeah, pretty close.”
“Of course, it doesn’t mean you should force them to look at expensive rooms.”
“But it is very important to observe what standard the other person is using to make their judgment.”

Jiro:
“I see...!”
“The ‘first one’ is more significant than I thought...!”

[Case 4] When proposing a renewal to an existing customer and having them look at a new plan based on their current one

This is not a new acquisition, but a situation with someone you already have a relationship with.
That is precisely why the standard is not the ‘first high-priced plan,’ but the content they are currently using.

Seiji:
“Next, let’s look at renewal proposals for existing customers.”

Jiro:
“Is it different for existing customers...?”

Seiji:
“Yes, quite different.”
“Existing customers look at the next step based on their current plan and current pricing.”

Hana:
“Ah...”
“Instead of comparing it as something new, they look at it in terms of ‘how does this compare to what I have now?’”

Seiji:
“Exactly.”
“Moreover, existing customers often view their current plan as their ‘familiar standard.’”
“That’s why, in a renewal proposal, just saying ‘here is the new plan’ is hard to get across.”
“If you show a comparison like ‘this is what’s added and this is what’s changing compared to your current content,’ it becomes easier for them to judge.”

Hana:
“True.”
“It feels less like looking at something new and more like looking at ‘how will this change from my current comfort zone?’”

Jiro:
“I see...!”
“So, instead of presenting it as ‘here is a new plan!’...”
“It’s easier for them to feel at ease if you show them ‘this is how it will change from your current state’...!”

Seiji:
“Yes, exactly.”

Hana:
“Existing customers have a sense of security, but that also makes the ‘isn’t what I have now enough?’ sentiment stronger, doesn’t it?”

Seiji:
"That's right."
"That's exactly why it's important to make sure you can compare things without skipping the baseline."

Jiro:
"Somehow..."
"It seems like the more existing customers we have, the more important it is to establish a 'foundation for comparison'...!"

[Case 5] When a target model suddenly looks affordable after seeing a high-spec model first at an appliance store

Finally, here is a daily situation that readers can easily relate to.

Hana:
"This happens all the time at appliance stores, doesn't it?"
"After seeing an amazing model first, the target model suddenly feels like 'maybe I can still afford this'"

Seiji:
"Yeah, that happens very easily."

Jiro:
"I know what you mean...!"
"When I see an all-in-one rice cooker first, other rice cookers I see after that start to look like, 'Oh, this one is still approachable...'!"

Hana:
"An approachable rice cooker (laughs)."
"So appliances have a sense of distance too, huh?"

Jiro:
"Yes..."
"If the first one is too amazing, the ones you see after that suddenly feel easier to fit into your life...!"

Seiji:
"That's also close to the anchoring effect."
"Because the first thing you see becomes the standard, it changes how you view everything that follows."
"That's why this kind of thing happens quite often not just in business negotiations, but in everyday shopping as well."

Hana:
"True."
"Rather than thinking about 'whether it's expensive,' we end up seeing it as 'how does it compare to what I saw first?'"

Jiro:
"I see...!"
"So today's topic really does happen not just at work, but in shopping too...!"

[📢Notice] *Case studies 6-10 added for refinement

Jiro:
"I wanted to show you how the article grows little by little through the comments and feedback I receive from everyone..."
"This time, I've also added a case of the anchoring effect that happened in my daily life...!"

"I would be happy if you could enjoy not just the knowledge, but also our atmosphere and worldview together..."
"And I would be very happy if you, the readers, gradually become our fans...!"

[Case Study (Added)] What it looks like in Jiro's daily life

From here on, we will look at the anchoring effect that occurred in Jiro's daily life.
Even though he should have understood it perfectly in a work context, Jiro's sense of price begins to waver little by little when it comes to lunch and shopping.

Let's look together at how much the 'first number seen' naturally enters into subsequent judgments.

[Case 6] When your sense of price from yesterday suddenly changes at lunch

First, here is a very familiar lunch situation.

Even for the same amount of money,
depending on what you saw just before that,
your perception of 'expensive' or 'cheap' can change.

Hana:
This happens at lunch too, doesn't it?
You see a slightly expensive menu item first, and then the regular prices suddenly look so reasonable.

Jiro:
Oh... that happens to me a lot.
Actually, it just happened a little while ago...

Hana:
I knew it (laughs).
Your expression changed a bit just now.

Seiji:
What kind of lunch was it?

Jiro:
When I walked into the restaurant, the first thing I saw was an 1,800 yen set meal.

Hana:
1,800 yen for lunch is a bit daunting, isn't it?

Jiro:
At that moment,
it felt like my wallet was trembling in fear...

Hana:
I think it was actually you who was trembling (laughs).

Jiro:
But then, the moment I saw the 980 yen set meal after that,
I thought, 'Oh... I can probably negotiate with this one...'

Hana:
You're starting to negotiate with a set meal (laughs).

Jiro:
And I was feeling quite positive about it at that point.
I had this look on my face like, 'This is a good compromise for both parties.'

Hana:
Don't close a business deal over lunch (laughs).

Seiji:
But that's very easy to understand.
After seeing the 1,800 yen price, the way you perceive 980 yen has changed.

Hana:
And Jiro, you were agonizing over whether to add an egg to a 500 yen beef bowl yesterday, weren't you?

Jiro:
You remembered that...

Hana:
I remember it.
You were standing in front of the ticket machine looking like you were having an existential crisis, saying, 'If I add the egg, I'm looking at the 600 yen range...'

Jiro:
That was a very important crossroads...

Hana:
Don't make your life's crossroads depend on a single egg (laughs).

Seiji:
You were cautious about 600 yen yesterday, but today 980 yen looks realistic.
What's happening here is that the 980 yen itself hasn't actually become cheaper.

Jiro:
Oh...
I thought I was looking at the 980 yen, but I was actually looking at the difference from the 1,800 yen.

Seiji:
"Exactly.
Seeing 1,800 yen first changed how 980 yen looked."

Hana:
"If it were the Jiro from before the beef bowl yesterday, I think he would have stopped today's Jiro."

Jiro:
"The me from yesterday is quite reliable..."

Hana:
"Though you were agonizing over an egg (laughs)."

[Case 7] When a king-size bed somehow looks like a 'great deal'

From here on, Jiro's sense of price begins to falter little by little.
In this scene, he is being pulled in by 'it's cheap when compared,' causing the conditions he should actually be looking at to fly out the window.

Hana:
"But this is actually quite dangerous with online shopping and such, isn't it?"

Jiro:
"............Yes."

Seiji:
"You're doing something during that pause."

Jiro:
"Yesterday, I was looking at online shopping in the middle of the night..."
"First, a '580,000 yen luxury king-size bed' appeared..."

Hana:
"Wow, that's a very strong anchor."

Jiro:
"Yes..."
"The moment 'If it's this one, it's 120,000 yen!' popped up right after that..."

Seiji:
"Uh-huh."

Jiro:
"I ended up thinking, 'Wait, this is actually cheap!'..."

Hana:
"I can't believe this is the same person who was trembling over an egg topping yesterday (laughs)."

Jiro:
"And at that time, I was feeling like, 'If it's not 580,000 yen, then I'm being saved quite a bit...'"

Seiji:
"You're being heavily influenced by the comparison."

Jiro:
"Yes..."
"Before I knew it, I had purchased it..."

Hana:
"No, Jiro-kun, your room is only 4.5 tatami mats, right!?"

Jiro:
Yes...
By the way, it seems it will arrive tomorrow morning...

Seiji:
Yeah.

Jiro:
I think I'll have to stand it up...
I feel like I'm going to end up 'sleeping upright'...

Hana:
You're already starting to bend your life to fit the bed (laughs).

Seiji:
This is also a situation where the anchoring effect is very likely to occur.
When you see something expensive first, the idea that 'it's cheap by comparison' tends to come first.
As a result, the conditions you should actually be looking at can end up taking a backseat.

Jiro:
Ah...
I was prioritizing 'it's not 580,000 yen' over 'can it fit in my room'...

Hana:
That was a pretty dangerous set of priorities (laughs).

[Case 8] When 3 McDonald's breakfast sets look like 'an amount I can still handle'

And the next morning.
Jiro had been desperately cleaning his 4.5-tatami mat room for the king-sized bed arriving that morning, but his comparison criteria were still a bit broken.
Here, anchoring is occurring not just with price, but also with 'quantity'.

Jiro:
I was cleaning my 4.5-tatami mat room quite desperately for the king-sized bed arriving in the morning...
But I got hungry halfway through, so I went to McDonald's for breakfast...

Hana:
You went to McDonald's in that situation? (laughs)

Jiro:
Yes...
Then, the family of five in front of me ordered five Sausage Egg McMuffin sets...

Seiji:
Yeah.

Jiro:
The moment I saw that, I thought, 'Maybe I can still handle about 3 sets...'

Hana:
What were you comparing that to? (laughs)

Jiro:
But in reality, I was pretty much at my limit halfway through the hash brown...

Hana:
Well, of course you were (laughs).

Jiro:
Now I'm debating whether to give the leftover McMuffins to the guy delivering the bed...

Hana:
This is not the time to be buying 3 McDonald's breakfast sets on the morning a king-sized bed is arriving for a 4.5-tatami mat room (laughs).

Seiji:
But this is also quite natural as an anchoring effect.
The '5 sets' you saw first became the standard, making it easier to judge your own quantity.

Jiro:
“Oh...”
“I wasn't looking at my own stomach, I was looking at the 'difference from the 5-set'...”

Seiji:
“Yeah, that's pretty close.”
“People sometimes find it easier to judge things based on 'how they look when compared' rather than 'the amount that suits them'.”

Jiro:
“I see...!”
“Right now, the room is scheduled to be left with nothing but a king-size bed and a mountain of muffins...”

Hana:
“That's a morning pretty much dominated by anchoring (laughs).”

[Case 9] When a massage machine for upright sleeping starts to look necessary

Even after the king-size bed arrived, Jiro's comparison criteria haven't fully returned to normal.
In fact, he's now starting to adapt little by little to a 'wrong premise'.

Hana:
“By the way, what happened with the bed after that?”

Jiro:
“Yes...”
“It's quite vertical...”

Hana:
“Vertical (laughs).”

Jiro:
“To fit it into a 4.5-tatami mat space, I'm using it standing up...”
“Lately, I feel more tired after getting into bed, but is that just my imagination...?”

Hana:
“It's not your imagination (laughs).”
“That's because it's 'upright sleeping'!?”

Jiro:
“And lately, when I wake up, my legs are always swollen...”

Hana:
“That's not sleeping, that's working (laughs).”

Seiji:
“And Jiro, you were watching that shopping channel again today, weren't you?”

Jiro:
“Yes...”
“I'm a little interested in an 'upright sleeping massage machine' right now...”

Hana:
“You have no intention of fixing the 'bed is too big' problem anymore (laughs).”

Jiro:
“But right now, my focus has shifted from 'how to sleep' to 'how to stand comfortably'...”

Hana:
“You've completely adapted to the wrong thing (laughs).”

Seiji:
“This is also a very common pattern with the anchoring effect.”
“When people are pulled in by their initial judgment, they sometimes start looking for ways to 'adapt to that state' rather than questioning the 'premise itself'.”

Jiro:
“Oh...”
“I wasn't thinking about 'buying a king-size bed', I was starting to think about 'how to make upright sleeping comfortable'...”

Seiji:
"Yeah, that's pretty close."
"Once people establish a standard of 'let's go with this,' they tend to try to adjust within that premise rather than correcting it later."

Jiro:
"I see...!"
"Right now, I'm starting to live my life based on the bed standard..."

Hana:
"That's becoming a pretty dangerous way to live (laughs)."

[Case 10] When a convenience store rice ball somehow looks like a "great deal"

Finally, here is a very everyday situation.
By this point, the "feeling of being pulled by comparison criteria" starts to creep into your daily actions, not just special purchases.

Hana:
"I saw Jiro-kun doing something funny at the convenience store earlier."

Seiji:
"Oh, what was it like?"

Hana:
"After he saw a 'premium rice ball for 680 yen' at first..."

Jiro:
"......"

Hana:
"He was holding a ton of rice balls with a face like, '180 yen!? That's so reasonable!' (laughs)"

Jiro:
"No..."
"After seeing the 680 yen one, 180 yen felt really reassuring..."

Hana:
"You were so reassured that your basket was almost entirely rice (laughs)."

Jiro:
"And right now, I'm feeling like, 'Isn't 180 yen basically a rounding error at this point?'..."

Hana:
"It's dangerous when you start using 'rounding error' for rice balls (laughs)."

Seiji:
"But this is also quite natural as an anchoring effect."
"The 180 yen rice ball itself hasn't changed."
"Because you saw the 680 yen one first, it's easier for the idea that 'it's cheap by comparison' to take precedence."

Jiro:
"Ah..."
"I was choosing based on the 'reassurance that it's not 680 yen' rather than the 'amount I actually need'..."

Seiji:
"Yeah, that's pretty close."
"Sometimes people find it easier to judge based on 'how it looks when compared' rather than 'whether I actually need it.'"

Jiro:
"I see...!"
"Right now, I'm starting to live my life based on 'comparison criteria'..."

Hana:
"Jiro-kun is currently in the zone of 'if it's not 580,000 yen, then everything is a bargain!' (laughs)"

[Theoretical Reinforcement] Dr. Narita's reinforcement

Dr. Narita, who had been listening to the conversation up to this point, nodded slowly.

Dr. Narita:
Hmm. Today, it was very clear how 'what you see first influences how you see everything that follows'.

Hana:
That's true...
Even with the same amount of money, the impression changed depending on 'what I saw before that'.

Dr. Narita:
Indeed.
What's important about the anchoring effect is not the first number itself, but looking at 'how people find it easy to judge'.

Hana:
'How they find it easy to judge'?

Dr. Narita:
Yes.
The human brain doesn't always measure the value of things in absolute terms.
Rather, it's easier to judge when there is 'something to compare it to'.

Jiro:
It's easier to decide when there's something to compare it to...

Dr. Narita:
That's right.
Originally, it's difficult to tell if a price is high or low just by looking at it alone.
That's why the brain unconsciously uses the 'first number seen' as a starting point to view what comes after.

Hana:
I see...
The first number isn't just 'the first one', it becomes the 'starting point for judgment'.

Dr. Narita:
Yes.
Moreover, once that standard is set, it's surprisingly difficult to look at it completely separately afterward.
People feel things not just by the 'price they are looking at now', but also by 'how far away it is from the beginning'.

Jiro:
So, I thought I was looking at 'the price itself'...
But in reality, I was also looking at 'how close or far it was from the first number'...

Dr. Narita:
That's a good understanding.
And what's important in sales is not to use this carelessly as a 'trick to sway the other person'.
The anchoring effect is not there to forcefully make things look expensive.

Seiji:
It's to make the differences easier to see, right?

Dr. Narita:
Exactly.
When the criteria for comparison are set, people don't just stop at 'is it expensive or cheap'.
What is different? Where is the value? Which one suits me better? It becomes easier to move on to those kinds of judgments.

Hana:
It's not a 'comparison that confuses', but a 'comparison that makes it easier to choose'.

Dr. Narita:
Yes.
The anchoring effect is not something that takes away the other person's judgment.
It is an auxiliary line that sets the foundation for comparison so that the other person can choose with peace of mind.

Jiro:
I see...!
It was much more about 'making things easier to understand' than 'pushing', just as I thought...!

[Summary] Today's Takeaway

Let's review today's discussion one last time together.

Hana:
It makes a lot of sense that this comes in the first episode of Season 1.

Seiji:
“That’s right.
When you hear 'high costs disappear,' it’s easy to think of it as a discussion about discounts or how things are phrased, but
before that, your perception changes depending on 'what standard you are using to look at it.'”

Jiro:
“Indeed….
Whether it was a 68,000 yen suit or a 980 yen lunch,
I thought I was only looking at the price itself.”

Hana:
“But in reality, you were being pulled by the numbers you saw before that, weren’t you?”

Jiro:
“So rather than 'I chose it because it was cheap,'
it was more like 'I was looking at it through a standard that made it seem cheap.'”

Hana:
“And then the receipt teaches you the reality later (laughs).”

Jiro:
“Professor Receipt was quite strict….”

Seiji:
“But that realization is very important.
Whether in sales or shopping, it’s not just about the price itself,
but the impression changes depending on 'what you are comparing it to.'”

Jiro:
“I almost misunderstood that at first….
I was starting to think simply that 'I should just show expensive things first.'”

Hana:
“I’m glad you didn’t enthusiastically put that into practice (laughs).”

Jiro:
“That was really dangerous….
Next time I look at a price, I’ll pause for a moment.
I’ll ask myself, 'Is this really cheap?'
and 'What did I see before this that makes me feel that way?'”

Hana:
“I’d like to ask the readers this, too.”

Jiro:
“Have you ever been pulled in by the first number you saw,
thinking, 'Oh, maybe I can afford this one'?”

Hana:
“Whether it’s shopping, lunch, home appliances, or estimates.
When you think about it later, it seems like there are quite a few cases where you realize, 'Wait, that was actually pretty expensive' (laughs).”

Jiro:
“If you have any experiences like that, please let us know in the comments.
If I find out that it wasn’t just my own internal ruler going wild, I might feel a little relieved….”

Hana:
“For Jiro’s peace of mind (laughs),
if you have an experience where you thought, 'I’ve had that happen too,' please let us know.”

[A Summary for Readers to Take Home]

The first number you see becomes the standard for the prices that follow.
What’s important in sales is not making things look expensive, but creating an order that makes it easy for the other party to compare the differences.

[Bonus] *Added: 'Jiro’s Mom Goes Viral on Social Media Edition'

[Social Media Edition] This viral post is… could it be ①

Hana:
“I just found a post that’s going viral….”

This,
is totally about Jiro-kun, right? lol

With
'Mother of a rice ball-loving kid',
and the @
'jiro_no_okaasan'

Plus
'sleeping upright in a king-sized bed in a 4.5-tatami mat room'...

Isn't there already too much evidence?

[SNS Edition] This viral post is... could it be ②

Hana:
'And the post with the photo from a minute later,
is growing even more...

The mothers in the comments section,

'Typical growing pains'
'We did that too'
they're saying, and it's scary lol

Since when did sleeping upright,
become a rite of passage in the parenting community?'

[SNS Edition] And Jiro becomes the man of the hour...

Jiro:
'Hana-san,
somehow today...

Mothers with children,

'I saw you yesterday♪'
'Oh, it's the famous Jiro-kun'

they say,
and people are talking to me like crazy...?

Everyone,
did they read our note...?'

Hana:
'............'

'I'm really struggling right now,
with whether I should tell Jiro-kun,

or keep it quiet
for his mother's sake.'

I'm really struggling right now.'

[Message to our readers]

Jiro:
"Thank you so much for reading this far...!"

"This note aims to be a
'note where we grow knowledge together with our readers' while repeatedly adding case studies and refining the content."

"The feedback and questions I receive from you all will be a great hint for future additions and refinements...!"

"If you have any thoughts after reading or things you want to know more about, please let me know in the comments."

"And I would be very happy if you could continue to watch over our story...!"
"With your voices and support as our strength, this article, and we ourselves, will grow little by little...!"

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

☑️Click here for the next episode

Season 1-Episode 2. "Does 2,999 yen look cheap!? The illusion of the 'leftmost digit'"

[Odd Pricing Effect]

A psychological effect where you are swayed by the leftmost digit, making the entire price feel cheaper than it actually is.