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The Wiki Man

Was the phrasing of the Scottish referendum question designed to create division?

Or was it designed to create far more division than necessary?

27 September 2014

8:00 AM

27 September 2014

8:00 AM

It is a trick which often works on children. Do not tell them to eat vegetables; instead ask whether they want broccoli or spinach.

Question such as ‘Red or white?’ or ‘Still or sparkling?’ are examples of placebo choice: a psychological hack which works rather like the placebo ‘door close’ buttons in lifts (which are usually not wired up to anything but exist to give impatient people the illusion of control).

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Rory Sutherland is vice-chairman of Ogilvy Group UK.

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