The Daily Stat: The Sound of a Number Affects Your Perception of Its Size

Are you having trouble viewing this email? If so, click here to see it in a web browser. HOME   |   BLOGS   |   THE MAGAZINE   |   BOOKS   |   AUTHORS   |   STORE RSS   |   Mobile MAY 15, 2013 The Sound of a Number Affects Your Perception of Its Size In an experiment involving prices for an ice cream scoop, people perceived $7.66 as representing a larger discount from the original $10 price than it actually was (estimating, on average, that it represented a 28.7% reduction, when in reality the difference was 23.4%), and they perceived a price of $7.22 as a smaller discount than it really was, say Keith S. Coulter of Clark University and Robin A. Coulter of the University of Connecticut. People unconsciously associate certain letter sounds, such as the "s" and "i" in "sixty-six," with smallness and the "t" and "oo" of "twenty-two" with largeness, and these associations interfere with the accuracy of their quantitative perceptions. Source: Small Sounds, Big Deals: Phonetic Symbolism Effects in Pricing Share Today's Stat: FEATURED PRODUCT Ebooks on HBR Did you know you can access your favorite HBR Press books in Ebook format? Get instant access to new releases like The First 90 Days, Updated and Expanded, recent bestsellers like Playing to Win and Conscious Capitalism and perennial classics like the HBR's 10 Must Reads series - without the hassle and cost of shipping. Visit our Ebook page to browse titles and learn more about this exciting offering. ADVERTISEMENT Follow the Stat: BEST SELLERS HBR Guide to Persuasive Presentations Ebook + Video Case Study HBR's 10 Must Reads on Leadership HBR's 10 Must Reads on Managing Yourself HBR's 10 Must Reads: The Essentials HBR Guide to Getting the Right Work Done PREVIOUS STATS That SUV Is Looking at You. Yes, You. Does Wearing Dark Glasses Make You More Selfish? How America's "Craft" Beer Boom Started with a Tax Cut Be Sure to Tell People They're Free to Say No to Your Request When You Solicit Donations, the Shape of Your Flyer Matters Rich Parents Increasingly Focus on Their Kids' Early Learning Chinese Officials' Ban on Gifts Affects Swiss Watch Market And You Thought Your Inbox Was Big Sales of Certain Lottery Tickets Dip When Temperatures Climb Why You Indulge More When You Pay for Snacks with Cash Introducing Mobile ManageMentor Powered by the proven content of Harvard ManageMentor™ iTunes >> Android >> UNSUBSCRIBE   |   UPDATE YOUR PROFILE   |   MORE EMAIL NEWSLETTERS   |   PRIVACY POLICY Was this email forwarded to you? If so, sign up to start receiving your own copy. ABOUT THIS MAILING LIST You have received this message because you subscribed to the "The Daily Stat" email newsletter from Harvard Business Review. If at any point you wish to remove yourself from this list, change your email address, or sign up for other email newsletters and alerts, please visit the Harvard Business Review Email Newsletter Preference Center. OPT OUT If you do not wish to receive any email messages from Harvard Business Review, click here. ADVERTISE WITH HBR This enewsletter is read by thousands of decision makers every day. Learn more about connecting your brand with this audience. Copyright © 2013 Harvard Business School Publishing, an affiliate of Harvard Business School. All rights reserved. Harvard Business Publishing | 60 Harvard Way | Boston, MA 02163 Customer Service: 800-545-7685 (+1-617-783-7600 outside the U.S. and Canada)