When the number of options exceeds a certain threshold , over-information can produce a level of stress that leads to paralysis. It can sometimes become difficult to make a decision when we have so many paths to follow. The more elements we have to exclude, the greater the stress and indecision

Now, by letting go of options we become capable people; otherwise, we would have an excess of physical and emotional burden that would make the journey 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 Barry Schwartz’s experiments.

What do Barry Schwartz’s experiments show?

The psychologist and professor Barry Schwartz argued in his book The paradox of choice (2004), that the reasoning “more choices is 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, resulting in the so-called paradox of choice. What at first is understood as “adding up”, in reality, turns against us and makes free choice difficult.

What did the experiments consist of?

One of the experiments was conducted in a supermarket. It consisted in offering a tasting of a brand of jam. Two measurements were taken: in the first test, the display offered many flavours; 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 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 reduced, fewer people came to taste but almost everyone bought. Why? Simple: in the face of so many possibilities, they were unable to make up their minds. The conclusion was that, if the brand offered few flavours, they would increase their sales.

An article published in the Country entitled “Less is more” compared this experiment with the strategy used in Greek restaurants in New York. The menu of these places was very extensive. The bombardment of dishes on the menu increased indecision among customers. This caused them to set aside their choices and ask for recommendations. It was then when 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 turned his attention to college kids. In several experiments, different groups of students were offered the possibility of raising their grades. In one of them, the teacher gave the opportunity to improve the score by writing a voluntary paper. The first group of students was given the opportunity to choose from a few topics; the second group was given a long list of possible topics.

Check it out. The number of students writing the essay was significantly higher in the first group. Choosing between limited options was easy for them. However, choosing from an extensive repertoire of topics led students to stop the process. Most preferred to postpone the decision and, as a consequence, to abandon the possibility of raising their grades.

With this type of experiment, it became evident how the excess of options produced paralysis instead of motivating action.

Why?

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 attending or taking responsibility (I don’t buy/do not choose any dish/do not make an effort to do a job to raise the grade).

The same thing can happen to us in everyday life. When we wander through an excess of options we end up bored and even exhausted. The result is non-action (“I’ve seen so many dresses that I don’t know which one I prefer anymore, now I doubt more than at the beginning”).

Doubt is an element known to all. One of the strategies for dealing with doubt is to limit the number of options and draw up concrete plans of action. Of course, we can always find new alternatives, new strategies, new focuses where to attack but…

…Is this always what we need? What level of stress is produced by the wide range of options in our minds? What helps us close chapters and what makes it difficult? Answering these questions slows down thinking and limits the range of possibilities.

What parallels can we draw between Schwartz’s experiments and intervention in psychotherapy?

From Psychotherapy we work to widen the vision of the patient’s world, detect untried solutions and propose new intervention strategies. However, we will always work taking into account the efficiency and the saving of vital energy. Anchoring oneself in an infinite number of possibilities leads the person to enter into a loop and remain in contemplation instead of heading towards 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’s not about the things we choose, but about all those things we lose by choosing. The possibilities are exclusive alternatives and no one can take both paths at a crossroads simultaneously. If I choose to take the entrecôte de seconde, I do not choose to eat the duck. It is true that I can return to the restaurant and eat it another day, 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, the more dishes I make, the more chances I have of “making a mistake” and not choosing the best culinary work, I give up more flavors and experiences. This banal decision can be translated into many other much more important decisions (study centres, careers, job offers, etc.).

What does renunciation bring to our life?

Renunciation is part of the process of maturation 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.

To make things easy for us when it comes to deciding, we have to consider the options according to our reality. The possibilities, perhaps, are many, but it will be our responsibility to consider only those that respond to our needs and those of the people around us.