What problem it addresses
It explains why highlighting an item makes it more visible and memorable, and why highlighting too many doesn’t work.
An example
Imagine two lists of ten items that you look at for a few seconds.
Difference works because it is an exception. If everything stands out, nothing stands out.
Why it happens
What is different breaks the pattern,
is perceived as distinct from its surroundings
and is stored more strongly in memory.
Applications in design
Use it like this
Highlight just one thing per screen: the main action or the key figure.
Avoid
Highlighting the option that suits the company by making the others go unnoticed.
Don’t fall for it
When something catches your eye, check whether it is important or just different.
1933
What the research says
Hedwig von Restorff showed that, in a list of similar items, the isolated item is remembered better.
Solid evidence. The key is not that something is unusual in itself, but that it stands out from what surrounds it (Hunt, 1995).
Connections
Used in
Authors and works
- 1933
Hedwig von Restorff
Described the effect in memory experiments with lists.
- 1995
R. Reed Hunt
Reviewed what the original study actually showed.
Sources
Original sources
- von Restorff, H. (1933). Über die Wirkung von Bereichsbildungen im Spurenfeld. Psychologische Forschung, 18(1), 299–342. View source: von Restorff, H. (1933)
Academic reviews
- Hunt, R. R. (1995). The subtlety of distinctiveness: What von Restorff really did. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 2(1), 105–112. View source: Hunt, R. R. (1995)
Last reviewed: