Our capacity to process information and make decisions reduces with each made
Each trade-off we make between options quickly depletes our ability to solve problems correctly. We’ll eventually revert to defaults or give up.
Vohs, Baumeister, Schmeichel, Twenge, Nelson & Tice (2018). Making choices impairs subsequent self-control. Self-Regulation and Self-Control.
The study
Impact
The study
The studies
42 people were either asked to make 35 'A or B' choices that would inform the design of an educational course they were attending, or instead to just read the course material. Both were then tasked with solving math puzzles and were timed until they gave up.
Those who had to make the choices beforehand persisted for less time on the puzzles and also got fewer right.
42 people were either asked to make 35 'A or B' choices that would inform the design of an educational course they were attending, or instead to just read the course material. Both were then tasked with solving math puzzles and were timed until they gave up.
Those who had to make the choices beforehand persisted for less time on the puzzles and also got fewer right.
Jerome's Expert View
Key Takeaways
Protect your decision capacity.
Prioritize your day around and take breaks before making harder decisions. For example, restaurant inspectors can reduce errors by scrutinizing sites at higher risk of failure at the start of the day (Ibanez & Toffel, 2017).
Create product contrast.
When no option in a set offers a distinct advantage from the others, we're most at risk of not choosing at all (Dhar, 1997). How can you improve your choice architecture to offer variety that actually makes deciding easier?
Order matters for revenue.
Prospective Audi owners given a high number of customization options early on more readily accepted, higher-priced defaults in later steps (Levav, 2010). Though be careful not to trigger Reactance by pre-selecting defaults that are seen as too expensive.
Boundary conditions
Future questions
Vohs, Baumeister, Schmeichel, Twenge, Nelson & Tice (2018). Making choices impairs subsequent self-control. Self-Regulation and Self-Control.
Our capacity to process information and make decisions reduces with each made
Each trade-off we make between options quickly depletes our ability to solve problems correctly. We’ll eventually revert to defaults or give up.
The study
42 people were either asked to make 35 'A or B' choices that would inform the design of an educational course they were attending, or instead to just read the course material. Both were then tasked with solving math puzzles and were timed until they gave up.
Those who had to make the choices beforehand persisted for less time on the puzzles and also got fewer right.
Vohs, Baumeister, Schmeichel, Twenge, Nelson & Tice (2018). Making choices impairs subsequent self-control. Self-Regulation and Self-Control.
Scarcity
We value things more when they’re in limited supply
Social Proof
We copy the behaviors of others, especially in unfamiliar situations
Prospect Theory
A loss hurts more than an equal gain feels good
Reciprocity
We’re hardwired to return kindness received
Framing
We make very different decisions based on how a fact is presented
Loss Aversion
We feel more negative when losing something than positive when we get it
Self-Expression
We constantly seek out ways to communicate our identity to others
Default Effect
We tend to accept the option pre-chosen for us
Priming
Our decisions are shaped by memories recalled from things just seen or heard
Anchoring
What we see first affects our judgement of everything thereafter
Scarcity
We value things more when they’re in limited supply
Social Proof
We copy the behaviors of others, especially in unfamiliar situations
Prospect Theory
A loss hurts more than an equal gain feels good
Reciprocity
We’re hardwired to return kindness received
Framing
We make very different decisions based on how a fact is presented
Loss Aversion
We feel more negative when losing something than positive when we get it
Self-Expression
We constantly seek out ways to communicate our identity to others
Default Effect
We tend to accept the option pre-chosen for us
Priming
Our decisions are shaped by memories recalled from things just seen or heard
Anchoring
What we see first affects our judgement of everything thereafter