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value
A smaller gift can feel more valuable than a larger one.
The less-is-better effect, described by Christopher Hsee in 1998, demonstrates that individuals often value smaller sets of high-quality items more than larger sets containing those same items plus inferior ones when evaluated separately.
The study was published in the Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, not Psychological Science.
Adding lower-quality options actually dilutes the perceived value of your original offer.
Where this comes from
- Study
- Hsee, 1998, Psychological Science
- What the check found
- The phenomenon is well-supported in behavioral economics, but the citation details provided in the claim are factually incorrect.
- Confidence
- Solid, with limits
Related
One of these every day, and every one names the study it came from. When a finding is contested, it says so.