Why shorter lists win: Researchers study how people misread rankings

Math is great when it's simple, but then our brain gets involved and complicates everything. Imagine you are on the leadership team for a Big 4 and choosing between two employees for a director-level promotion. One is ranked third out of 12 on her team. The other is ranked sixth out of 24. On paper, both candidates sit at the same relative spot in their groups. Both are in the top quarter. Both have outperformed three-fourths of their peers.