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I have always heard of different conclusions from too many choices. It was from a study known as the "Jam Experiment." [0] They found that in a grocery store th

I have always heard of different conclusions from too many choices. It was from a study known as the "Jam Experiment." [0] They found that in a grocery store that if customers had six choices, they bought more jam than if there were 14 choices. They termed it decision paralysis. [0] https://scottfenstermaker.com/too-much-choice-the-jam-experiment/ https://scottfenstermaker.com/too-much-choice-the-jam-experi...

PaulDavisThe1st 2y ago
The version I'm familiar with was more about driving consumers to a middle-priced version by adding a more expensive version. Offer version A at $10, and version B at $50, most people pick A. Offer version A at $10, version B at $50, and version C at $25, most people pick C.
- gradyfps 2y ago
  What you're referencing is usually called the decoy effect, which isn't the same as decision paralysis.
  - financetechbro 2y ago
    Never heard of decoy effect. Always referred to this phenomenon as “anchoring”
    - csa 2y ago
      > Never heard of decoy effect. Always referred to this phenomenon as “anchoring” Correct. The example they gave is anchoring. Anchoring typically looks like $10-$25-$50, and they want you to buy the $25 item. Sometimes the presence of the $50 item can have zero sales, but the $25 item will sell better than if the options were just $10 and $25. Decoy would be more like $10-$40-$50, and they want you to buy the $50 item and the $40 item has less than it’s sticker value. Decoy is commonly used to encourage people to buy at the top of their budget range (as one example).
      - financetechbro 2y ago
        Reminds me of Apple’s pricing scheme
torginus 2y ago
Personally, when presented with too many choices, I always feel like some of the choices are the wrong ones - perhaps the cheap ones are garbage, or quite oppositely, you're paying an extra for nothing - and I'm afraid of being a fool for picking them. No matter how it goes, it's always a negative experience for me.

PaulDavisThe1st 2y ago

The version I'm familiar with was more about driving consumers to a middle-priced version by adding a more expensive version. Offer version A at $10, and version B at $50, most people pick A. Offer version A at $10, version B at $50, and version C at $25, most people pick C.

gradyfps 2y ago
What you're referencing is usually called the decoy effect, which isn't the same as decision paralysis.
- financetechbro 2y ago
  Never heard of decoy effect. Always referred to this phenomenon as “anchoring”
  - csa 2y ago
    > Never heard of decoy effect. Always referred to this phenomenon as “anchoring” Correct. The example they gave is anchoring. Anchoring typically looks like $10-$25-$50, and they want you to buy the $25 item. Sometimes the presence of the $50 item can have zero sales, but the $25 item will sell better than if the options were just $10 and $25. Decoy would be more like $10-$40-$50, and they want you to buy the $50 item and the $40 item has less than it’s sticker value. Decoy is commonly used to encourage people to buy at the top of their budget range (as one example).
    - financetechbro 2y ago
      Reminds me of Apple’s pricing scheme

torginus 2y ago

Personally, when presented with too many choices, I always feel like some of the choices are the wrong ones - perhaps the cheap ones are garbage, or quite oppositely, you're paying an extra for nothing - and I'm afraid of being a fool for picking them. No matter how it goes, it's always a negative experience for me.