January Birth Cognitive Bias (Mind's Quirk)

Anchoring Illusion is a type of cognitive bias systematized by Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman in 1974, a psychological phenomenon where the first piece of information presented (the anchor) exerts excessive influence on subsequent judgments and decision-making. People born in January, having come into existence during the special period of year's beginning, tend to emphasize 'beginning' and 'first-time' experiences in various aspects of life, becoming fixated on these as reference points. New Year's resolutions, wishes made at hatsumode shrine visits, the content of hatsuyume first dreams, and the first people or events encountered on New Year's Day can become judgment axes for the subsequent year, sometimes for their entire lives. While this characteristic brings clear goal-setting and consistent action capabilities, it also encompasses risks of making adaptation to change difficult and missing new information and opportunities. Psychological research shows that numerical anchors are particularly powerful and difficult to modify once established, which aligns with the firm belief systems and adherence to values demonstrated by January-born individuals.