governance
Anchoring
The tendency for an available starting value to influence a later numerical judgement, even when the final estimate is adjusted from that starting point.
Anchoring matters in delivery governance when a rough date or cost is repeated as though it were settled. The research establishes a general judgement effect; it does not show that every stakeholder will anchor or quantify its size in software work.
The practical distinction is between a number and a decision record. A forecast can contain a number, but should also show its assumptions, uncertainty and revision trigger.
Sources
- Judgment under Uncertainty: Heuristics and Biases · primary