Skip to main content
added 67 characters in body
Source Link
Justin
  • 10.3k
  • 4
  • 36
  • 66

It is called the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon or the frequency illusion.

Baader-Meinhof is the phenomenon where one stumbles upon some obscure piece of information⁠—often an unfamiliar word or name⁠—and soon afterwards encounters the same subject again, often repeatedly. Anytime the phrase “That’s so weird, I just heard about that yesterday” would be appropriate, the utterer is hip-deep in Baader-Meinhof.
damninteresting.com / The Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon, by Alan Bellows, March 2006

Stanford linguistics professor Arnold Zwicky coined [the term "frequency illusion"] in 2006 to describe the syndrome in which a concept or thing you just found out about suddenly seems to crop up everywhere. It’s caused, he wrote, by two psychological processes. The first, selective attention, kicks in when you’re struck by a new word, thing, or idea; after that, you unconsciously keep an eye out for it, and as a result find it surprisingly often. The second process, confirmation bias, reassures you that each sighting is further proof of your impression that the thing has gained overnight omnipresence.
psmag.com / There's a Name for That: The Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon / by Pacific Standard staff

Additional reading:
itre.cis.upenn.edu / Just Between Dr. Language and I / by Arnold Zwicky on Language Log


Update, July 2022:

Since then, OEDOED1 has added the definitions for both terms as well:

  • Baader-Meinhof phenomenon, from 1994:

attributive. Designating a quirk of perception whereby a phenomenon to which one is newly alert suddenly seems ubiquitous. Chiefly in Baader-Meinhof phenomenon.
Also called the frequency illusion

  • frequency illusion, from 2005:

n. a quirk of perception whereby a phenomenonbr>to which one is newly alert suddenly seems ubiquitous.
Also called the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon


1 Subscription required.

It is called the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon or the frequency illusion.

Baader-Meinhof is the phenomenon where one stumbles upon some obscure piece of information⁠—often an unfamiliar word or name⁠—and soon afterwards encounters the same subject again, often repeatedly. Anytime the phrase “That’s so weird, I just heard about that yesterday” would be appropriate, the utterer is hip-deep in Baader-Meinhof.
damninteresting.com / The Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon, by Alan Bellows, March 2006

Stanford linguistics professor Arnold Zwicky coined [the term "frequency illusion"] in 2006 to describe the syndrome in which a concept or thing you just found out about suddenly seems to crop up everywhere. It’s caused, he wrote, by two psychological processes. The first, selective attention, kicks in when you’re struck by a new word, thing, or idea; after that, you unconsciously keep an eye out for it, and as a result find it surprisingly often. The second process, confirmation bias, reassures you that each sighting is further proof of your impression that the thing has gained overnight omnipresence.
psmag.com / There's a Name for That: The Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon / by Pacific Standard staff

Additional reading:
itre.cis.upenn.edu / Just Between Dr. Language and I / by Arnold Zwicky on Language Log


Update, July 2022:

Since then, OED has added the definitions for both terms as well:

  • Baader-Meinhof phenomenon, from 1994:

attributive. Designating a quirk of perception whereby a phenomenon to which one is newly alert suddenly seems ubiquitous. Chiefly in Baader-Meinhof phenomenon.
Also called the frequency illusion

  • frequency illusion, from 2005:

n. a quirk of perception whereby a phenomenonbr>to which one is newly alert suddenly seems ubiquitous.
Also called the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon

It is called the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon or the frequency illusion.

Baader-Meinhof is the phenomenon where one stumbles upon some obscure piece of information⁠—often an unfamiliar word or name⁠—and soon afterwards encounters the same subject again, often repeatedly. Anytime the phrase “That’s so weird, I just heard about that yesterday” would be appropriate, the utterer is hip-deep in Baader-Meinhof.
damninteresting.com / The Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon, by Alan Bellows, March 2006

Stanford linguistics professor Arnold Zwicky coined [the term "frequency illusion"] in 2006 to describe the syndrome in which a concept or thing you just found out about suddenly seems to crop up everywhere. It’s caused, he wrote, by two psychological processes. The first, selective attention, kicks in when you’re struck by a new word, thing, or idea; after that, you unconsciously keep an eye out for it, and as a result find it surprisingly often. The second process, confirmation bias, reassures you that each sighting is further proof of your impression that the thing has gained overnight omnipresence.
psmag.com / There's a Name for That: The Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon / by Pacific Standard staff

Additional reading:
itre.cis.upenn.edu / Just Between Dr. Language and I / by Arnold Zwicky on Language Log


Update, July 2022:

Since then, OED1 has added the definitions for both terms as well:

  • Baader-Meinhof phenomenon, from 1994:

attributive. Designating a quirk of perception whereby a phenomenon to which one is newly alert suddenly seems ubiquitous. Chiefly in Baader-Meinhof phenomenon.
Also called the frequency illusion

  • frequency illusion, from 2005:

n. a quirk of perception whereby a phenomenonbr>to which one is newly alert suddenly seems ubiquitous.
Also called the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon


1 Subscription required.

added 748 characters in body
Source Link
ermanen
  • 65.5k
  • 34
  • 169
  • 316

It is called the "Baader-Meinhof Phenomenonphenomenon" or "the frequency illusion".

Baader-Meinhof is the phenomenon where one happensstumbles upon some obscure piece of information-- ofteninformation⁠—often an unfamiliar word or name-- andname⁠—and soon afterwards encounters the same subject again, often repeatedly. Anytime the phrase “That’s so weird, I just heard about that yesterday” would be appropriate, the utterer is hip-deep in Baader-Meinhof.
damninteresting.com / The Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon, by Alan Bellows, March 2006

–"The Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon," written by Alan Bellows

Stanford linguistics professor Arnold Zwicky coined [the term "frequency illusion"]"frequency illusion"] in 2006 to describe the syndrome in which a concept or thing you just found out about suddenly seems to crop up everywhere. It’s caused, he wrote, by two psychological processes.

  The first, selective attention, kicks in when you’re struck by a new word, thing, or idea; after that, you unconsciously keep an eye out for it, and as a result find it surprisingly often.

  The second process, confirmation bias, reassures you that each sighting is further proof of your impression that the thing has gained overnight omnipresence.
psmag.com / There's a Name for That: The Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon / by Pacific Standard staff

–"There's a Name for That: The Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon," by Pacific Standard staffAdditional reading:
itre.cis.upenn.edu / Just Between Dr. Language and I / by Arnold Zwicky on Language Log

 

Additional sourceUpdate, July 2022:

"Just Between Dr. Language and ISince then," by Arnold Zwicky on Language Log

Note: This also looks like a question OED has added the definitions for both terms as well:

https://cogsci.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/cognitive-psychology

  • Baader-Meinhof phenomenon, from 1994:

attributive. Designating a quirk of perception whereby a phenomenon to which one is newly alert suddenly seems ubiquitous. Chiefly in Baader-Meinhof phenomenon.
Also called the frequency illusion

  • frequency illusion, from 2005:

n. a quirk of perception whereby a phenomenonbr>to which one is newly alert suddenly seems ubiquitous.
Also called the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon

It is called the "Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon" or "frequency illusion".

Baader-Meinhof is the phenomenon where one happens upon some obscure piece of information-- often an unfamiliar word or name-- and soon afterwards encounters the same subject again, often repeatedly.

–"The Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon," written by Alan Bellows

Stanford linguistics professor Arnold Zwicky coined [the term "frequency illusion"] in 2006 to describe the syndrome in which a concept or thing you just found out about suddenly seems to crop up everywhere. It’s caused, he wrote, by two psychological processes.

  The first, selective attention, kicks in when you’re struck by a new word, thing, or idea; after that, you unconsciously keep an eye out for it, and as a result find it surprisingly often.

  The second process, confirmation bias, reassures you that each sighting is further proof of your impression that the thing has gained overnight omnipresence.

–"There's a Name for That: The Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon," by Pacific Standard staff

Additional source:

"Just Between Dr. Language and I," by Arnold Zwicky on Language Log

Note: This also looks like a question for:

https://cogsci.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/cognitive-psychology

It is called the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon or the frequency illusion.

Baader-Meinhof is the phenomenon where one stumbles upon some obscure piece of information⁠—often an unfamiliar word or name⁠—and soon afterwards encounters the same subject again, often repeatedly. Anytime the phrase “That’s so weird, I just heard about that yesterday” would be appropriate, the utterer is hip-deep in Baader-Meinhof.
damninteresting.com / The Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon, by Alan Bellows, March 2006

Stanford linguistics professor Arnold Zwicky coined [the term "frequency illusion"] in 2006 to describe the syndrome in which a concept or thing you just found out about suddenly seems to crop up everywhere. It’s caused, he wrote, by two psychological processes. The first, selective attention, kicks in when you’re struck by a new word, thing, or idea; after that, you unconsciously keep an eye out for it, and as a result find it surprisingly often. The second process, confirmation bias, reassures you that each sighting is further proof of your impression that the thing has gained overnight omnipresence.
psmag.com / There's a Name for That: The Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon / by Pacific Standard staff

Additional reading:
itre.cis.upenn.edu / Just Between Dr. Language and I / by Arnold Zwicky on Language Log

 

Update, July 2022:

Since then, OED has added the definitions for both terms as well:

  • Baader-Meinhof phenomenon, from 1994:

attributive. Designating a quirk of perception whereby a phenomenon to which one is newly alert suddenly seems ubiquitous. Chiefly in Baader-Meinhof phenomenon.
Also called the frequency illusion

  • frequency illusion, from 2005:

n. a quirk of perception whereby a phenomenonbr>to which one is newly alert suddenly seems ubiquitous.
Also called the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon

Commonmark migration
Source Link

It is called the "Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon" or "frequency illusion".

Baader-Meinhof is the phenomenon where one happens upon some obscure piece of information-- often an unfamiliar word or name-- and soon afterwards encounters the same subject again, often repeatedly.

–"The Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon," written by Alan Bellows

Stanford linguistics professor Arnold Zwicky coined [the term "frequency illusion"] in 2006 to describe the syndrome in which a concept or thing you just found out about suddenly seems to crop up everywhere. It’s caused, he wrote, by two psychological processes.

 

The first, selective attention, kicks in when you’re struck by a new word, thing, or idea; after that, you unconsciously keep an eye out for it, and as a result find it surprisingly often.

 

The second process, confirmation bias, reassures you that each sighting is further proof of your impression that the thing has gained overnight omnipresence.

–"There's a Name for That: The Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon," by Pacific Standard staff

Additional source:

"Just Between Dr. Language and I," by Arnold Zwicky on Language Log

Note: This also looks like a question for:

https://cogsci.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/cognitive-psychology

It is called the "Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon" or "frequency illusion".

Baader-Meinhof is the phenomenon where one happens upon some obscure piece of information-- often an unfamiliar word or name-- and soon afterwards encounters the same subject again, often repeatedly.

–"The Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon," written by Alan Bellows

Stanford linguistics professor Arnold Zwicky coined [the term "frequency illusion"] in 2006 to describe the syndrome in which a concept or thing you just found out about suddenly seems to crop up everywhere. It’s caused, he wrote, by two psychological processes.

 

The first, selective attention, kicks in when you’re struck by a new word, thing, or idea; after that, you unconsciously keep an eye out for it, and as a result find it surprisingly often.

 

The second process, confirmation bias, reassures you that each sighting is further proof of your impression that the thing has gained overnight omnipresence.

–"There's a Name for That: The Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon," by Pacific Standard staff

Additional source:

"Just Between Dr. Language and I," by Arnold Zwicky on Language Log

Note: This also looks like a question for:

https://cogsci.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/cognitive-psychology

It is called the "Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon" or "frequency illusion".

Baader-Meinhof is the phenomenon where one happens upon some obscure piece of information-- often an unfamiliar word or name-- and soon afterwards encounters the same subject again, often repeatedly.

–"The Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon," written by Alan Bellows

Stanford linguistics professor Arnold Zwicky coined [the term "frequency illusion"] in 2006 to describe the syndrome in which a concept or thing you just found out about suddenly seems to crop up everywhere. It’s caused, he wrote, by two psychological processes.

The first, selective attention, kicks in when you’re struck by a new word, thing, or idea; after that, you unconsciously keep an eye out for it, and as a result find it surprisingly often.

The second process, confirmation bias, reassures you that each sighting is further proof of your impression that the thing has gained overnight omnipresence.

–"There's a Name for That: The Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon," by Pacific Standard staff

Additional source:

"Just Between Dr. Language and I," by Arnold Zwicky on Language Log

Note: This also looks like a question for:

https://cogsci.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/cognitive-psychology

replaced http://cogsci.stackexchange.com/ with https://cogsci.stackexchange.com/
Source Link
Loading
added author names to citations, added editorial note in brackets to one citation to make it clearer which term it referred to
Source Link
herisson
  • 84.5k
  • 9
  • 216
  • 368
Loading
added additional source
Source Link
ermanen
  • 65.5k
  • 34
  • 169
  • 316
Loading
Source Link
ermanen
  • 65.5k
  • 34
  • 169
  • 316
Loading