Choice Is Demotivating

PERSONALITY PROCESSES AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES

When Choice is Demotivating: Can One Desire Too Much of a Good Thing?

Sheena S. Iyengar

Columbia University

Mark R. Lepper

Stanford University

Current psychological theory and research affirm the positive affective and motivational consequences of having personal choice. These findings have led to the popular notion that the more choice, the better—that the human ability to manage, and the human desire for, choice is unlimited. Findings from 3 experimental studies starkly challenge this implicit assumption that having more choices is necessarily more intrinsically motivating than having fewer. These experiments, which were conducted in both field and laboratory settings, show that people are more likely to purchase gourmet jams or chocolates or to undertake optional class essay assignments when offered a limited array of 6 choices rather than a more extensive array of 24 or 30 choices. Moreover, participants actually reported greater subsequent satisfaction with their selections and wrote better essays when their original set of options had been limited. Implications for future research are discussed.

Ne quid nimis. (In all things moderation.) —Publius Terentius Afer (Terence), c. 171 B.C.

It is a common supposition in modern society that the more choices, the better—that the human ability to manage, and the human desire for, choice is infinite. From classic economic theories of free enterprise, to mundane marketing practices that provide customers with entire aisles devoted to potato chips or soft drinks, to important life decisions in which people contemplate alternative career options or multiple investment opportunities, this belief pervades our institutions, norms, and customs. Ice cream parlors compete to offer the most flavors; major fast-food chains urge us to "Have it our way."

Sheena S. Iyengar, Graduate School of Business, Columbia University; Mark R. Lepper, Department of Psychology,...