Option overload: choked by choice?

• Author: Freund, Charles Paul
• Position: Citings - The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less - Brief Article

"So I SAID I want a pair of jeans, size 32-28," author Barry Schwartz said recently on PBS, "and the salesperson said," Well, do you want slim fit, relaxed fit, easy fit? Do you want wide boot cut, wide leg, peg leg? Do you want acid washed, stone washed, regular? "You know, I realized that I was spending an hour trying to do something that used to take me five minutes."

Schwartz, a psychologist, has concluded that proliferating consumer choice is an unrecognized mental health problem. According to his book The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less (Ecco), the costs to consumers of market choices can outweigh the apparent benefits, and not merely in terms of time. If you are a "satisficer," you'll search around in the market for a "good enough" choice that meets your needs, and you'll probably be happy with it. But if you are a "maximizer" seeking the "best" choice, the market will overwhelm you.

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