Operations, Information and Decisions Papers
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of this Version
1-2011
Publication Source
Psychological Science
Volume
22
Issue
1
Start Page
71
Last Page
79
DOI
10.1177/0956797610391098
Abstract
Where do people’s reference points come from? We conjectured that round numbers in performance scales act as reference points and that individuals exert effort to perform just above rather than just below such numbers. In Study 1, we found that professional baseball players modify their behavior as the season is about to end, seeking to finish with a batting average just above rather than below .300. In Study 2, we found that high school students are more likely to retake the SAT after obtaining a score just below rather than above a round number. In Study 3, we conducted an experiment employing hypothetical scenarios and found that participants reported a greater desire to exert more effort when their performance was just short of rather than just above a round number.
Keywords
judgment, decision making, reference points, goals
Recommended Citation
Pope, D., & Simonsohn, U. (2011). Round Numbers as Goals Evidence From Baseball, SAT Takers, and the Lab. Psychological Science, 22 (1), 71-79. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0956797610391098
Date Posted: 27 November 2017
This document has been peer reviewed.