The less-is-better effect is a cognitive bias in which people favor a smaller or lesser option when it is evaluated on its own, but prefer the larger or better option once both options are presented together for direct comparison. The behavioral scientist Christopher Hsee first proposed the effect.
Facts
Core ClaimThe less-is-better effect is a cognitive bias that causes people to favor a lesser option when it is presented separately, but to prefer the better option when both are presented together. 1 First Described Year Replication Standing Classification
Type of Phenomenon Connections
In Branch
Source Wikipedia: Less-is-better effect
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Less-is-better effect
Wikimedia Foundationlead paragraph
The less-is-better effect is a cognitive bias that causes people to favor a lesser option when it is presented separately, but to prefer the better option when both are presented together.
Identifying the effect section
In a 1998 study, Hsee, a professor at the Graduate School of Business of The University of Chicago, discovered a less-is-better effect in three contexts
Lead section
The less-is-better effect is a cognitive bias that causes people to favor a lesser option when it is presented separately, but to prefer the better option when both are presented together.
View the Source 2. FORRT: FORRT Replications and Reversals
FORRTEntry: Less-is-better effectQuote, Entry: Less-is-better effect
Less-is-better effect. People are willing to pay more money for a product that contains lower quantity when it looks more full, such as an overfilled ice cream cup with 7 oz rather than underfilled larger ice cream cup with 8 oz. Statistics Status: replicated
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