Glossary
Salience Bias
What is salience bias?
Salience bias is giving extra weight to information because it stands out. The brightest or loudest thing in front of you is not necessarily the most useful thing to consider.
Example of salience bias
Imagine comparing two products. A large, colorful discount badge draws your attention, while a less prominent feature matters more for the job you need the product to do. If you give the badge extra weight simply because it stands out, that illustrates salience bias.
What the research shows
In Theeuwes's visual-search experiments, an irrelevant but distinctive item made it harder to find the target. This supports the attention example; it does not show that every noticeable item changes memory or decisions in the same way.
Why it matters
Prominence can be mistaken for relevance. Comparing options using the same relevant criteria is a practical check.
For the broader concept of what makes something stand out, see salience.