← all facts
decision making
You buy more when a useless option is added.
The inclusion of an asymmetrically dominated decoy makes a target option look more attractive.
When faced with two options, adding a third inferior option that is similar to one of the others causes people to shift their preference. This occurs because the decoy creates an easy comparison. You weigh value against the decoy rather than the standalone quality.
Your choice is often guided by the irrelevant options provided.
Where this comes from
- Study
- Huber, Payne, and Puto, 1982
- What the check found
- This is a well-established finding in consumer psychology known as the 'attraction effect,' accurately attributed to the 1982 paper by Huber, Payne, and Puto.
- 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.