Anchors Aweigh: Anchoring Bias in the Voice Studio

Abstract

According to the American Psychological Association, anchoring bias is what occurs when we form perceptions or make judgments by giving excessive weight to information gathered during a first impression. We then subconsciously fail to modify that impression when contradictory information presents itself. This mindset can persist into the future, even after the person grows or changes in a way that makes the initial impression irrelevant. When voice teachers succumb to this form of cognitive bias, it can cause us to presume that certain technical inefficiencies, seen once in our students, continue to exist, even after they have resolved. In order to overcome this tendency, research studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of the “consider-the-opposite” strategy, which can help pull us out of this default way of thinking. When teachers challenge their own initial impressions and “argue against the anchor,” they are better able to respond authentically to what their students are displaying in any given moment.