A632.2.3.RB
Sheena
Iyengar: How to Make Choosing Easier
In
her video, Sheena Iyengar (2011) indicates that choice overload has the biggest
effect on making decisions or choices. I
would have to completely agree. It is
always a conundrum when I go to stores such as Sam’s Club or World Market. So many choices. So many, choice, so little time! Don’t get me wrong, I like choices. However, I often spend hours in these stores
and often buy very little. But other
times I come out spending entirely too much money. When I go to these places I must bring my
wife to keep me in check. You see, I am
an impulse buyer.
As I
see it, more is not better. “More” often
causes confusion. I often have a hard
time items that offer too many choices unless I know exactly what I want. Things like jeans and canned tomatoes use to
drive me nuts. However, I now only by a
certain brand and style of jeans and a certain brand of canned tomatoes
regardless of the amount of choices around me.
According to Iyengar (2001), “Less is more”. She informs the viewer that
too many choices cause the following:
·
You are more likely to delay choosing.
·
You make worse choices.
·
You choose things that make you less satisfied.
I get
it. Like I said earlier, I may come out
of the store without anything or less than I intended, I may be caused to
impulse buy, and I sometimes have “buyer’s remorse”.
Iyengar
(2001) then discusses for techniques to mitigate choice overload. She first states that choices should be “cut”. I believe that this applies more to the
retailer but can be applied to the consumer.
The retailer should offer less choices. In Iyengar’s researcher, she
describes improved sales and profits. As
a consumer, I should already have my mind set on what I want. Just like the jeans and canned tomatoes.
Her
next technique is “concretization”. Make
concrete decisions by have knowledge of the consequences associated with the
choice. As described in the first
technique, I already have my mind solidly set on certain products. An organization can also use this technique
by only offering its employees certain benefits and not an endless buffet of
options. Things like retirement plans
and health/dental options cost the company less and doesn’t confuse the
employee.
Her
next technique is categorization. She
informs the viewer that we can handle more categories than choices. I am pretty sure that is why almost all
grocery stores are organized in categories.
Just look at the aisle marques and you’ll understand. Everything fresh or perishable is on the
outer walls like the bakery, produce, and meats while everything else is
aligned in aisles in the middle. I am
such a frequent food shopper that I can navigate a grocery store with my eyes
closed. I know the categories of the
aisles…condiments…spices…pasta, rice, beans, and sauces and so on.
Her
final technique is condition for complexity.
She informs the viewer that we can handle a lot more information than we
think. I agree. Information is one thing but choices are
another. I would add that as consumers,
we must have our choices in mind before making these decision by doing
research. The decision to buy a car, furniture,
health insurance and more. Our minds can
handle the information, we just need to be ready to narrow down the choices.
Reference
Iyengar, S. (2011). How to making choosing easier. TED. [VIDEO FILE]. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/sheena_iyengar_choosing_what_to_choose
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