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Psychological Phenomena

Less-Is-Better Effect

Decision-Making and Judgment Biases

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 Claim
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. 1
First Described Year
1998 1
Classification
Type of Phenomenon
Cognitive Phenomenon 1
Connections

In Branch

Source Wikipedia: Less-is-better effect
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Less-is-better effect
Wikimedia Foundation
  • lead 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, phenomenon-kind classification
    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.
  • In Branch: Cognitive Psychology, Categories
    Wikipedia article 'Less-is-better effect' is filed under Category:Cognitive biases.
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