Paradox of choice

Overview

The paradox of choice is a concept proposed by psychologist Barry Schwartz. It refers to the phenomenon where the more options there are, the harder decisions become and the less satisfied people are after choosing. The "jam experiment" that Sheena Iyengar and Mark Lepper reported in a 2000 paper is well known. In this experiment, the purchase rate was 10 times higher when 6 kinds of jam were displayed than when 24 kinds were.

The paradox of choice in a question box

Saying "Ask me anything!" in a question box is similar to displaying 24 kinds of jam. Senders face unlimited options and tend to be unsure what to ask. Narrowing the theme and setting a range, like "Ask me about something I've been into lately," helps senders focus their thinking and can also lower the bar for asking a question.

The paradox of choice works on the answering side too. When a large number of questions arrives, choosing which ones to answer can become stressful in itself. Setting a limit, like "Up to 3 a day," can reduce the burden of choosing.

What to do about it

For running a question box, there's the idea of "structured freedom." Instead of complete freedom or complete restriction, you give freedom within a reasonable framework. By deliberately adding constraints, such as setting a theme, limiting how many questions you accept, or fixing the days you answer, you can lower the decision-making cost for both senders and the person answering.