Compared to What? The Power of the Contrast Effect
- Melissa Hughes
- Jul 8, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
Have you ever noticed that an overpriced product feels reasonably priced when displayed next to a more expensive product? Or that you feel less confident when everyone around you seems to be a rockstar?
Understanding the Contrast Effect
That is the contrast effect at work. The contrast effect is an unconscious bias that occurs when two things are judged in comparison to one another, rather than being assessed individually. Our perception changes once we start comparing things. We tend to judge them relative to each other instead of on their own merit.
The contrast effect was first noted by the 17th-century philosopher John Locke. He observed that lukewarm water can feel hot or cold, depending on whether the hand touching it was previously in hot or cold water. This phenomenon has been studied extensively in various fields, including marketing, education, and social behaviors.
Examples of the Contrast Effect
Sweet drinks taste sweeter if consumed right after something less sweet, compared to when consumed after something sweeter.
People often feel more attractive after looking at pictures of those who are relatively unattractive.
Students may feel less confident in their academic abilities when surrounded by high-performing peers.
(I learned the colored cube trick from Dan Ariely’s 2008 TED Talk, Are we in control of our own decisions?, which is totally worth the watch!)
Visual Perception and the Contrast Effect
Visual perception is not the only aspect that the contrast effect can skew. A teacher might grade a mediocre essay more harshly after reading an outstanding one. A 5’10” tall man standing next to a 6’6” man will seem short, but he appears tall next to a 5’0” man. A reduced price looks much cheaper than it actually is, simply because the original price tag is still visible.
Imagine you just decided to buy a new suit. A savvy salesperson might show you an expensive tie that complements the suit. Compared to the suit's price, the tie does not seem too expensive. However, without that comparison, you might not even consider buying such an expensive tie.
The Contrast Effect in Hiring
In recruiting and hiring, the contrast effect operates similarly. It’s human nature to assess candidates in comparison to others rather than evaluating each candidate based on their skills, expertise, and experience. The brain, in its attempt to efficiently process information, judges each candidate relative to those evaluated before and after. As a result, weaker candidates may appear stronger than they truly are, while the most qualified individual might be overlooked.
The Checker Shadow Illusion
The checker shadow illusion is another example published by Edward H. Adelson, a professor at MIT, in 1995. The image depicts a checkerboard with light and dark squares, partially shadowed by another object. The optical illusion suggests that the area labeled A appears darker than the area labeled B. However, within the context of the two-dimensional image, they are identical.
Types of Contrast Effects
There are two types of contrast effects:
Positive Contrast Effects
A positive contrast effect occurs when something is perceived as better than it would usually be perceived because it’s compared to something worse. For example, people often feel more physically attractive after viewing pictures of people who are relatively unattractive.
Negative Contrast Effects
A negative contrast effect occurs when something is perceived as worse than it would typically be perceived because it’s compared to something better. Students often feel less confident in their abilities when they are in a class with high-performing students. This phenomenon is related to the big-fish-little-pond effect (BFLPE).
How to Overcome the Contrast Effect
To reduce the influence of the contrast effect, you must first identify it at work and then break the connection between what you’re trying to evaluate and the comparisons against it.
Here are a few strategies to help you:
Increase the time and space between options. Don’t evaluate one choice immediately after another. Space them out to allow for clearer judgment.
Add more options. A wider variety of choices can decrease the contrast you notice between fewer options.
Identify the most important features, benefits, or characteristics to you. Clearly defining these aspects makes irrelevant factors less compelling.
when you stop to think about how often we experience the contrast effect, it’s hard to not see it.