{"id":2075,"slug":"implied-precision-effect","title":"Implied-precision effect — precise numbers are perceived as more credible","kind":"reference","scope":"business","status":"current","audiences":["kevin","candid-team"],"topics":["precision-credibility-tradeoff"],"reference_body":"**Claim:** Multiple independent streams (Zhang & Schwarz 2012; Jerez-Fernandez et al. 2014; Loschelder et al.; *California Management Review* 2024 synthesis) show **precise numbers are perceived as more credible, competent, and scientific than round numbers** — the \"precision / implied-precision effect.\"\n\nPrecise figures signal confidence and expertise, and recipients adjust more toward, and prefer, advisers who give precise estimates.\n\n**Source:** Zhang & Schwarz 2012; Jerez-Fernandez 2014; Loschelder et al.\n\n**Confidence:** Verified.\n\n**Why this matters for Candid:** Creates the tempting trap of false precision. The defense: pair credibility-signaling concreteness (specific drivers, defined tiers, visual scale) with explicit uncertainty (range, conditional framing).","rationale_body":null,"metadata":null,"links":{"outgoing":[],"incoming":[{"slug":"research-brief-smb-widget-presenting-tiers-june-2026","title":"Research brief: SMB widget presentation layer — tiered results without overclaiming (June 2026)","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"relates-to"}]},"created_at":"2026-06-23T19:16:03.425Z","updated_at":"2026-06-23T19:16:03.425Z"}