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cognition
You notice things more frequently after learning about them.
The frequency illusion occurs when a new piece of information you recently learned suddenly seems to appear everywhere.
Your brain begins to unconsciously scan for the new information, making coincidences feel like a trend. The prevalence of the object has not increased, but your selective attention has.
The world is not showing you more; you are simply looking harder.
Where this comes from
- Study
- Arnold Zwicky, 2006
- What the check found
- Arnold Zwicky coined the term in a 2006 Language Log post. While the definition is accurate, the provided reference material does not contain the specific source citation.
- Confidence
- Solid, with limits
Related
One of these every day, and every one names the study it came from. When a finding is contested, it says so.