Nearly three decades ago, two psychologists Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahnerman discovered a human phenomenon known as 'anchoring'. This occurs when you don't know the answer to something, whatever the starting point is plays a strong role in determining what you think the right answer is.

The initial number of casualties given for the Iraq war was about 30,000 - 50,000. A new study conducted by a respected Johns Hopkins peer reviewed journal finds the number of casualities to be about 650,000. Many critics dispute this as an accurate number. Source: Washington Post, Oct. 23, 2006 p. AO2

QUESTION: Do you think the initial number of 30,000-50,000 was a deliberate attempt by the media to use as an anchor so that subsequent reports of higher numbers would be difficult for the public to believe?