Abstract
Choosing an object from an array of similar objects is a task that people complete frequently throughout their lives (e.g., choosing a can of soup from many cans of soup). Research has also demonstrated that items in the middle of an array or scene are looked at more often and are more likely to be chosen. This middle preference is surprisingly robust and widespread, having been found in a wide range of perceptual-motor tasks. In a recent review of the literature, Bar-Hillel (2015) proposes, among other things, that the middle preference is largely explained by the middle item being easier to reach, either physically or mentally. We specifically evaluate Bar-Hillel’s reachability explanation for choice in non-interactive situations in light of evidence showing an effect of item valence on such choices. This leads us to conclude that the center-stage heuristic account is a more plausible explanation of the middle preference.
Highlights
A preference for items in the middle has consequences in many settings, including consumer choices (Atalay, Bodur, & Rasolofoarison, 2012), the assessment of people (Raghubir & Valenzuela, 2006), and responding to questionnaires (Bar-Hillel, 2015)
I-Perception increases their selection (Atalay et al, 2012), or because selecting the middle item somehow requires the least mental effort (Christenfeld, 1995). Another explanation is that people apply a heuristic that specifies that the best items are in the middle, and this influences their choice when there is little other information to discriminate between the items (Valenzuela & Raghubir, 2009)
Bar-Hillel (p. 431) suggests that the middle preference for simultaneously presented items is caused by up to three psychological processes: ‘‘(a) middle positions are more reachable in perceptual-motor tasks, (b) they are more representative in mental choice tasks, and (c) they are felt to be better hiding places in games of hide-and-seek.’’ Reachability in this sense applies just the physical ease with which an item can be held and the mental ease with which it comes to mind
Summary
A preference for items in the middle has consequences in many settings, including consumer choices (Atalay, Bodur, & Rasolofoarison, 2012), the assessment of people (Raghubir & Valenzuela, 2006), and responding to questionnaires (Bar-Hillel, 2015). 431) suggests that the middle preference for simultaneously presented items is caused by up to three psychological processes: ‘‘(a) middle positions are more reachable in perceptual-motor tasks, (b) they are more representative in mental choice tasks, and (c) they are felt to be better hiding places in games of hide-and-seek.’’ Reachability in this sense applies just the physical ease with which an item can be held (e.g., proximity and time) and the mental ease with which it comes to mind.
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