Baader-Meinhof phenomenon (frequency illusion)

The Baader-Meinhof phenomenon, also called the “frequency illusion,” is based on how selectively our brain perceives information. This phenomenon refers to a cognitive bias in which any new information begins to seem far more common than it actually is.

Now let's break down the effect in simple terms. Let's say you learned something new (a fact, a movie plot, a foreign word, etc.) and after a short time you start to encounter this information everywhere. You hear about it on the radio, this fact is mentioned in a conversation, you even come across a video about it on YouTube. Sound familiar? You begin to think that this information is widespread and often used by other people. To put it simply, it feels like this new information is following you around.

In fact, the frequency effect simply exploits the fact that our attention and perception are selective. Of course, there are news items that everyone talks about for a while (these cases don't fall under this phenomenon). But the average frequency of using any specific information remains unchanged, and it does not depend on whether you know about this information or not. But it seems different to us. Why does this happen?

The most logical and understandable explanation for this phenomenon is that the brain strives to understand what information we really need and what can be ignored. In this way, our brain simply saves resources. Every day we learn something new, but we do not need to remember everything at once. Our brain must determine which pieces of this constant flow of information we'll actually need later.

Here's the logic: if we encounter certain information more often than others, then most likely it is more important than the one we heard only once. Frequent repetition of certain new information indicates to us that we will need it in the future, so we shouldn't let it fade from memory.

Our subconscious is constantly searching for patterns and coincidences. Once it finds them, we latch onto these connections and recognize that this information might actually be important. The essence of the phenomenon is that our brain assigns greater importance to certain information and makes us pay attention to it again.

The Baader-Meinhof phenomenon got its name in the mid-90s, when an American newspaper published a story by one of its readers. The article talked about a strange coincidence: the author's friend heard twice in one day from different sources about a previously unknown German terrorist organization, whose leaders were Andreas Baader and Ulrike Meinhof.

After this article, the editors received a flood of letters from readers, describing similar experiences of their own. As a result, the name “Baader-Meinhof phenomenon” took hold and became widely used.

The term "frequency illusion" to describe the same cognitive distortion appeared 11 years later thanks to Stanford University professor Arnold Zwicky. Nowadays, both terms are used interchangeably.

The Baader-Meinhof phenomenon occurs quite often in our lives. Here is a simple example: you decide to buy a car of a particular brand. For some time after that, you will see this model almost everywhere, wherever you are. It seems that everyone drives this car.

Another example: a girl wants to buy a new handbag, she begins to notice it everywhere: on the street, in a store, in magazines. Again, it seems that this bag is simply following her.

Another example: your friend recently shared a dilemma they’ve been struggling with, and literally that same evening you see that this issue was raised in a film you are watching, or in a book, an article in a magazine, etc.

Another example: you read a book and now you notice it in the hands of other people, your friends mention it, and on YouTube you come across videos related to this book.

The key thing to understand about this illusion is that the perceived surge in mentions doesn't actually reflect reality. In simple terms, this situation is only perceived by a person who is under the influence of the phenomenon. At the same time, it's worth noting that a person can actually encounter a certain piece of information, fact, or news precisely at the peak of its popularity or just as the buzz around it is picking up.

According to Professor Zwicky, this phenomenon became possible due to two features of how our minds work:

• selective perception of reality;
• tendency to confirm one's point of view.

Selective Perception

Selective perception means that when we focus on something specific, the brain automatically begins to filter out everything that seems uninteresting and useless to us. For example, let's take soccer. It may seem to you that the referee is always blowing the whistle and issuing yellow cards to the team you support. The frequency illusion means that fans of the opposing team feel exactly the same way about their own side.

Also, thanks to selective perception, we “often” see the same time on the clock and encounter certain numbers.

Confirmation Bias

The tendency to confirm one’s point of view (aka “confirmation bias”) allows us to interpret events in a way that is beneficial to us. Even some prominent scientists have been criticized for noticing only the facts they need, but not counterarguments. For example, a person with a firmly held position on some issue will see more confirmation of their opinion on television, in the press and on the Internet, because they unconsciously filter out information that challenges their view.

The frequency illusion is quite common in various fields. Most often, it is used by advertisers and marketers to increase the chances that you will buy a certain product. For example, if you tell potential customers about a promotion or a new product over a short period of time through different sources, they will think that almost everyone is talking about this offer. This generates greater interest among the audience.

Marketing and PR

This effect allows you to attract attention to the product. For example, a company begins to promote a brand (product, promotion, etc.) through various methods:

• outdoor advertising;
• banners;
• TV commercials;
• online advertising;
• social media posts.

As a result, the potential buyer will subconsciously think about the product or promotion. This encourages them to buy.

Medical industry

In medicine, this effect manifests itself as follows: a doctor has relatively recently studied the description or encountered an example of a specific disease, so in the near future they will be inclined to prescribe additional tests and procedures to identify that specific condition. However, this also raises the risk of confirmation bias, potentially leading the doctor to overlook alternative diagnoses, which can be dangerous for the patient.

Psychology and Therapy

In this area, the phenomenon is most often applied in positive thinking practices to help a person overcome psychological problems. A person concentrates on the positive aspects of their life and trains their brain to focus on what brings satisfaction and peace. The frequency illusion helps reinforce these positive patterns of thought and behavior.