Contrast effect
The tendency to judge something as better or worse than it is because we just compared it to something very different. The comparison shifts our sense of size, price, quality, or appeal.
In everyday life
After looking at a $500 coat, a $120 sweater in the same store seems cheap.
After touring a cramped, dark apartment, the next ordinary one you see feels spacious and bright, and you sign the lease on the spot.
Why your mind does this
Our senses and judgment work by comparison. Noticing differences from a starting point, or from what came just before, is faster and cheaper than measuring things in absolute terms, and changes are often what signal danger or opportunity.
Its family, in 30 seconds: Change
How to spot it
Ask yourself what you saw just before this, and whether it is making this option look better or worse than it is.
How to counter it
Rate each option against a fixed standard you set in advance, such as your budget or a checklist, before comparing them to each other.