Paradox of choice

The paradox of choice is the idea that more choice is not always better: past a point, a large assortment paralyses, makes people postpone decisions and leaves them less satisfied afterwards, because every alternative becomes a missed option. The famous jam experiment, where a smaller display sold more, became its poster child. The replication record forces modesty: the effect does not appear everywhere, and averaged across studies it is small and context-dependent. The practical lesson survives that nuance: structure choice into recognisable steps, offer a good default, and let the assortment be wide overall but small at the moment of decision.

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