The focus right now across the Federal Reserve System is curbing inflation, which just hit a 40-year high. Evidence of inflation’s effects on consumers is everywhere – in the media, in stores, at gas stations, and beyond. That’s made Americans increasingly aware of rising inflation, and according to a new study published by the Boston Fed, that can make inflation more difficult to rein in.

Boston Fed senior economist and policy advisor Jenny Tang is coauthor of the paper called “Inflation Levels and (In)attention,” which looks at the ways inflation can be affected by how much attention people pay to it. In the latest episode of the Six Hundred Atlantic podcast, Tang speaks about how different levels of attention can influence everything from what kind of mortgage a person chooses to whether they think it’s a good time to go appliance shopping.

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