Once something is noticed, subsequent instances are salient and the sudden apparent prevalence is taken for a real increase.
Zwicky named it in 2005; the popular name comes from a newspaper comment thread, not from research. The mechanism is selective attention plus confirmation bias, and no increase in frequency is involved.
In practice
- A manager who has just learned a term begins hearing it in every meeting and concludes it is the new consensus.
- Someone considering a particular car sees that model everywhere for a fortnight.
- Standing
- The popular name comes from a newspaper comment thread, not from research.
- Further reading
- Wikipedia
- Subject
- Psychology & Behavior
- Essay
- A century and a half of measuring the mind