Psychology
What is The frequency illusion?
The frequency illusion (also called the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon) is when something you just noticed suddenly seems to appear everywhere. It's not actually more common — your brain is simply paying more attention to it after the first encounter.
See it, don’t just read it.
Watch a 2-minute lesson with voice + animation that explains the frequency illusion.
Key things to understand
- 1Something newly noticed seems to appear everywhere.
- 2The thing isn't actually more frequent.
- 3Your brain just notices it more after first contact.
- 4It's driven by selective attention and confirmation.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the frequency illusion?
- The sense that something you recently noticed suddenly appears everywhere, though its frequency hasn't changed.
- Why does the frequency illusion happen?
- Once primed, your brain selectively notices the thing more and confirms the pattern.
- What's the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon?
- Another name for the frequency illusion, after people noticed a name repeatedly after first hearing it.