A streaming service, such as Netflix, can have an offer of titles close to 4,000. When it comes time to choose a movie, Are you more likely to make a decision quickly or carefully examine the possibilities?
Psychologists refer to those who search for something to arrive at an appropriate choice as 'satisficers'. Meanwhile, it is the 'maximizers' who search exhaustively for what could be considered the perfect option. The first seems like a healthier strategy, but a new study says otherwise (with a nuance).
Maximizers VS Satisfactorers
A new investigation from the University at Buffalo that measured cardiovascular responses at the time of making a decision, rather than after the fact, suggests that it is satisficers who feel unable to really choose, and what appears to be a quick certainty could be In fact a defense of having to think too much about the options presented to them.
As explained Thomas Saltsman, lead author of the study:
We found evidence that, compared to maximizers, satisficers showed cardiovascular threat responses consistent with evaluating themselves as less able to manage their choice in the moment.
Saltsman says that satisficers may search minimally through their options not because they are less particular or simply care less about their choices than maximizers, but because they feel unable to choose between so many options.
Using a sample of 128 participants, the researchers first assessed everyone's decision-making style (maximization vs. satisfaction), before presenting them with 15 online personal profiles and accompanying cards with related biographical details. Participants had three minutes to choose their 'ideal' person or partner. Later, they reported their decision.
Unlike previous studies, the researchers measured cardiovascular responses to better understand the psychological experiences of the participants during their election.
The findings, published in the journal Psychophysiology, challenge traditional wisdom. The implications are relevant not only to everyday decision making, but also speak to how people approach important decisions.
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The news
Quick choosing could be a strategy to avoid option overload, not a sign of greater security
was originally published in
Xataka Science
by
Sergio Parra
.