The Illusion of Choice: 16½ psychological biases that influence what we buy

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As we all know, one’s perception and beliefs are shaped by their experiences and environment. In many ways, the exposure that we have contributed greatly to our preferences and our moral compass. In this day and age where social media has become a primary platform consuming facts and opinions, it has an even greater impact on us than what we may think. The following are common inconspicuous influence by our social media consumption on our perception and preferences:

Consequently, incorporating the illusion of choice into your marketing strategy can benefit your bottom line. With such a large pool of potential customers, offering well-designed opportunities is pretty low-risk when done correctly. Essentially, you want to make leads feel empowered to make decisions—so long as it results in a sale for you. How to Create the Illusion of Choice for Your CustomersWe then studied the scanner sales data from thousands of US stores that is compiled by market research firms for these products.

Bargh, J. A., and Ferguson, M. J. (2000). Beyond behaviorism: on the automaticity of higher mental processes. Psychol. Bull. 126, 925–945. doi: 10.1037/0033-2909.126.6.925 Unsurprisingly, many of us have a hard time making decisions in our daily lives. But how can we improve our decision-making skills? We can take a few steps to help us make better decisions and improve our lives. Get organized by creating lists or calendars of when specific tasks need to happen so that they don’t get lost in the shuffle of everyday life (or procrastination). If something must be completed by a specific date or time, write it down so there’s no chance of forgetting about it or putting off until tomorrow what should be done today! Final Words I loved this book. Designed for marketers or business owners wanting to drum up business. This book is marvelous.Influencer effect. Some opinions are louder than others. When people who have a larger following endorses certain products or opinions, it can create the illusion that what they have shared was more desirable or popular. As such, the illusion may lead one to align their views or buy products endorsed by these influencers. Echo chamber effects. It is a well-known fact that these platforms use complex algorithms to tailor each user’s experience. In doing so, one would often be repeatedly exposed to content that is aligned with their existing interest and beliefs. As such, it limits their opportunities to understand other perspectives to gain a more diverse or holistic view. Wilson, T. D., Lisle, D. J., Schooler, J. W., Hodges, S. D., Klaaren, K. J., and Lafleur, S. J. (1993). Introspecting about reasons can reduce post-choice satisfaction. Pers. Soc. Psychol. Bull. 19, 331–339. doi: 10.1177/0146167293193010 The illusion of choice and desirability bias are two phenomena in many ways. The illusion of choice occurs when people believe they have many options when there are very few in reality. Desirability bias is when people think something is good because they want it to be good, even if it isn’t.

Elqayam, S., and Evans, J. St. B. T. (2011). Subtracting “ought from ’is:” descriptivism versus normativism in the study of human thinking. Behav. Brain Sci. 34, 233–290. doi: 10.1017/S0140525X1100001X Once I made that choice, I had set in motion something known as “first conclusion bias”. But that is another mental model for another day.Once the election is over, and once the winner is declared, everybody forgets about it. […] Most attempts are caught by the system. But there are cases that do slip through. [Voter fraud] undermines public confidence in democracy.” Don't rush. Take time to consider all of your options before making a decision. Rushing into a decision can lead to regret later on.