Having too many choices


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annother is offline annother Post #1  April 12,2010, 2:31pm
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This is a very interesting short video about how having too many choices can be a bad thing. I think this has relevance for those of us on dating sites, although it doesn't address that issue directly.

The power - and paralysis - of too many choices - The Globe and Mail

The evidence presented suggests that people are happier when they have few choices or if the choice is made for them, but in North America we value having the opportunity to choose.
Last edited by annother; April 12,2010 at 3:04pm.
 
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D_Lion is online now D_Lion Post #2  April 12,2010, 2:40pm
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I've never had a problem with choice.

No matter how many products are available, I seem always to end up finding nearly none of them really suit me.

In that, dating sites are exactly the same.
 
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lacedwithhope is offline lacedwithhope Post #3  April 12,2010, 3:03pm
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D_Lion wrote :
I've never had a problem with choice.

No matter how many products are available, I seem always to end up finding nearly none of them really suit me.

In that, dating sites are exactly the same.
Yes, it's such a curse to have high standards!


I agree though that the nature of online dating can feed the curiosity about whether the next match may be cuter / smarter / thinner / richer. It reminds me of when you finally make your purchase after car shopping for months -- you still find yourself thinking about the next new model and wondering about the test drive...
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bigfincat is offline bigfincat Post #4  April 12,2010, 3:18pm
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Couldn't possibly have too many choices.
 
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SierraMountainAir is offline SierraMountainAir Post #5  April 12,2010, 3:26pm
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PY_2 is offline PY_2 Post #6  April 12,2010, 3:28pm

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D_Lion wrote :
I seem always to end up finding nearly none of them really suit me.
Nanette's Profile Page - eHarmony Advice

Suits you perfectly!
 
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dia_ is offline dia_ Post #7  April 12,2010, 3:51pm
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annother wrote :
This is a very interesting short video about how having too many choices can be a bad thing. I think this has relevance for those of us on dating sites, although it doesn't address that issue directly.

The power - and paralysis - of too many choices - The Globe and Mail

The evidence presented suggests that people are happier when they have few choices or if the choice is made for them, but in North America we value having the opportunity to choose.
Yup, I read about this in "Stumbling on Happiness" by Daniel Gilbert. IIRC, the optimum number of choices seems to be between 4 & 7; more than that, and people have trouble making up their mind and are not as happy with their choice once they do.

I think a lot of choice can indeed be overwhelming; there are days when trying to grocery shop all the different options can feel that way and I end up just grabbing something and tossing it into the cart. I never felt that way while dating, though - no matter how much 'choice' I had at any given time, I had no difficulty giving up all others when I met someone I really clicked with.

I read an interesting article once about online dating, in that people tend to believe that every one they see on their list of matches is potentially "the one" and so it seems as if the choice is endless. But in reality, they are no more "potential matches" than are the vast majority of people you pass on the street in a day. It's the perception that one only has to pick one out of the multitude in sight that creates an illusion of choice and the resultant disappointment when every "choice" is met with lack of success.
Last edited by dia_; April 12,2010 at 3:53pm. Reason: redudancy, again
 
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mrflyer is offline mrflyer Post #8  April 12,2010, 4:02pm
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That explains why people in East Berlin were so happy.
 
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ami1uwant is offline ami1uwant Post #9  April 12,2010, 4:52pm
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annother wrote :
This is a very interesting short video about how having too many choices can be a bad thing. I think this has relevance for those of us on dating sites, although it doesn't address that issue directly.

The power - and paralysis - of too many choices - The Globe and Mail

The evidence presented suggests that people are happier when they have few choices or if the choice is made for them, but in North America we value having the opportunity to choose.
What I do wonder in the study was there correlation between those who classified themselves as maximizers vs satisfiers.

Maximizers tend to have problems in deciding and always think the grass is greener or there always is a better option.

Similar topics with this have recently been published in books that touch on marketing and behavior...like Predictably Irrational and Ndge to name two of a bunch
 
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cal_dude is online now cal_dude Post #10  April 12,2010, 5:40pm
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So shallow people have easier time deciding since they only use 1 or 2 dimensions. The rest of us are indeed more prone to doubts and changing weight we assign to different traits, interests and behaviors.

Are poofers satisfiers?
 
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