When the number of options exceeds a certain threshold, overinformation can produce a level of stress that leads to paralysis. And sometimes it can be difficult to make a decision when we have so many paths to take. The more elements we have to exclude, the greater the stress and indecision.
Now, thanks to letting go of options we become capable people; Otherwise, we would have an excess of physical and emotional burden that would make the path much more costly.
Barry Schwartz and the paradox of choice
This week, we spoke with Mensalus Institute for Psychological and Psychiatric Assistance about the paradox of choice through the experiments of Barry Schwartz.
What do Barry Schwartz’s experiments show?
Psychologist and professor Barry Schwartz argued in his book The paradox of choice (2004), that the reasoning “more options means more well-being” is not necessarily true. A priori, a greater range of possibilities is positive and increases the well-being of individuals, but if the number of alternatives crosses a certain threshold, negative effects may appear. .
Thus, if the threshold is exceeded excessively, the disadvantages may outweigh the advantages, producing the so-called paradox of choice. What is initially understood as “adding”, in reality, turns against us and makes free decision difficult.
What did the experiments consist of?
One of the experiments was carried out in a supermarket. It consisted of offering a tasting of a brand of jam. Two measurements were made: in the first test, the display offered many flavors; In the second, there were few types of jam that users could taste. In both cases, it was recorded how many people came to try the jam and how many ended up buying it.
Well, when there were more flavors on the display, the number of people who decided to taste was greater, but very few ended up buying. On the other hand, when the number of options was small, fewer people came to try it but almost everyone bought. Because? Simple: faced with so many possibilities they were not able to decide. The conclusion was that if the brand offered few flavors, its sales would increase.
An article published in El País titled “Less is more” compared this experiment with the strategy used in Greek restaurants in New York. The menu of these establishments was very extensive. The bombardment of dishes presented on the menu increased indecision among customers. This caused them to put options aside and ask for recommendations. It was then that the waiter took the opportunity to point out those dishes where the restaurant made the most profit.
What other experiments did this psychologist carry out?
Schwartz set his attention on college students. In several experiments he proposed the possibility of increasing grades to different groups of students. In one of them, the teacher gave the opportunity to improve the score by writing a voluntary work. To the first group of students he gave the opportunity to choose between a few topics; To the second, he presented a long list of possible ones.
Look. The number of students writing the essay was significantly higher in the first group. Choosing from limited options was easy for them. However, choosing from an extensive repertoire of topics led students to stop the process. The majority preferred to postpone the decision and, as a consequence, end up abandoning the possibility of raising their grade.
With this type of experiments it was possible to show how the excess of options produced paralysis instead of motivating towards action.
Because?
The excess of options in all cases produced stress (to a greater or lesser degree). Having to think about the “crossroads” more than desired (taking into account the situation and the possible gains) led the person to stop paying attention or taking responsibility (I don’t buy/I don’t choose any dish/I don’t make an effort to make a work to raise grade).
This same thing can happen to us in daily life. When we wander among an excess of options we end up getting bored and even exhausted. The result is non-action (“I have seen so many dresses that I no longer know which one I prefer, now I doubt more than at the beginning”).
Doubt is an element known to everyone. Precisely one of the strategies to deal with doubt is to delimit the number of options and draw concrete action plans. Of course, we can always find new alternatives, new strategies, new focuses to attack but…
…Is this always what we need? What level of stress does the extensive range of options produce in our minds? What helps us close chapters and what makes it difficult for us? Answering these questions slows down thinking and limits the range of possibilities.
What parallel can we make between Schwartz’s experiments and the intervention in Psychotherapy?
From Psychotherapy we work to expand the patient’s vision of the world, detect untried solutions and propose new intervention strategies. Now, we will always work taking into account efficiency and saving vital energy. Anchoring in an infinite number of possibilities leads the person to go into a loop and remain in contemplation instead of heading towards the decision.
This happens for fear of making a mistake: renunciation is the key element. The more you give up, the more stress and anxiety the decision generates.
Again we ask ourselves… Why?
It is not about the things we choose, but about all those we lose when choosing. The possibilities constitute exclusive alternatives and no one can take both paths at a crossroads simultaneously. If I choose to have the entrecôte for the second, I don’t choose to eat the duck. It is true that another day I can go back to the restaurant and eat it, but at that moment I must choose what to eat (“Will the entrecôte be well done?”, “Will I like the sauce that accompanies the duck?”).
The truth is that, the more dishes, the more chances I have of “making mistakes” and not choosing the best culinary work, I give up more flavors and experiences. This banal decision can translate into many other, much more important ones (study centers, careers, job offers, etc.).
What does renunciation bring to our lives?
Renunciation is part of the maturation process of the human being. Choosing increases our security and self-esteem. Thanks to letting go of options we become capable people, otherwise, we would have an excess of physical and emotional burden that would make the path much more costly.
Making things easier for ourselves when deciding involves considering the options based on our reality. The possibilities, perhaps, are many, but it will be our responsibility to consider only those that respond to our needs and that of the people around us.
