Compréhension écrite : Too Many Choices?

What psychology can teach us about making decisions

Every day, each of us makes hundreds of decisions. Most are so small

that we hardly notice them: which shirt to wear, which route to take,

whether to answer a message now or later. Others, such as which subject to

study or where to live, may shape our lives for years. We like to believe

that we make these choices logically, carefully weighing the facts.

Psychologists, however, have shown that the reality is far more complicated.

One famous study took place in a California supermarket in 2000.

Researchers set up a table where shoppers could taste different kinds of

jam. On some days the table offered twenty-four flavours; on other days,

only six. The larger display attracted more visitors, but when it came to

buying, the result was surprising. About thirty percent of the people who

saw six jams bought a jar, compared with only three percent of those who saw

twenty-four. Too much choice, it seemed, made people freeze.

This idea, sometimes called "choice overload", became extremely popular.

Since then, however, other researchers have tried to repeat the experiment

and have not always found the same effect. Today most experts agree that a

large number of options is not always harmful. It becomes a problem when the

options are hard to compare, when we do not know exactly what we want, or

when we are tired or under pressure.

Our minds also take shortcuts. In one well-known type of experiment,

people are first shown a random number and then asked to guess, for example,

the price of a product. Those who see a high number usually guess higher

than those who saw a low one, even though they know the number has nothing

to do with the question. This effect, known as "anchoring", helps explain

why shops display a very expensive item next to the one they actually want

to sell: suddenly, the second item looks like a bargain.

None of this means that we are hopeless at making decisions. These

mental shortcuts developed for good reasons. In most everyday situations,

they allow us to act quickly without analysing every detail, and they

usually work well enough. The trouble starts when we rely on them for

important choices.

So what can we do? Psychologists offer some practical advice. Firstly,

reduce the number of options before you start comparing them; three good

choices are easier to handle than thirty. Secondly, decide in advance what

matters most to you, so that you are not distracted by details that are not

important. Thirdly, avoid making big decisions when you are hungry,

exhausted or upset. Finally, accept that there is rarely a perfect choice.

People who search endlessly for the best possible option are often less

satisfied than those who settle for one that is good enough.

Perhaps the most useful lesson is that knowing about these traps does

not make us immune to them, but it does give us a chance to stop, notice and

think again.