Choice Overload: Consequences, Causes, and Remedies

The prevailing supposition in modern society is that people confronted with more choices will both make higher-quality decisions and be happier with their decision outcomes. This talk challenges the assumption that more choice is better by providing evidence for a phenomenon referred to as „choice overload“ – that when people face more choices they:

• Are more likely to opt out of making a choice
• And if they do make a choice
• They tend to choose options that are simpler instead of ones that maximize their Utility.
• They are less satisfied with their choices.

Next, this presentation reviews findings that examine three potential causes of choice overload:

• Cognitive overload
• Anticipated regret
• Inability to perceive differences across options