Why Do Choices Tax Self-Regulatory Resources? Three Tests of Candidates to Explain Decision Fatigue
Little research addresses why choice depletes self-regulatory resources. Three studies tested three candidates that may explain why choice is taxing. Experiment 1 found that making choices for the self was more depleting than making choices for another. Experiment 2 found that enjoyable choices were less depleting than unenjoyable choices— but only after few choices. After many choices, participants were depleted regardless of whether they enjoyed making choices. In experiment 3, participants deliberated, implemented pre-selected options, or engaged in full choice. The full choice process (i.e., deliberate and implement) depleted participants most; the other two conditions showed better, and equivalent, self-regulation.
Citation:
Kathleen D. Vohs, Noelle Nelson , and Catherine Rawn (2009) ,"Why Do Choices Tax Self-Regulatory Resources? Three Tests of Candidates to Explain Decision Fatigue", in NA - Advances in Consumer Research Volume 36, eds. Ann L. McGill and Sharon Shavitt, Duluth, MN : Association for Consumer Research, Pages: 172-176.
Authors
Kathleen D. Vohs, University of Minnesota, USA
Noelle Nelson , University of Minnesota, USA
Catherine Rawn , University of British Columbia, Canada
Volume
NA - Advances in Consumer Research Volume 36 | 2009
Share Proceeding
Featured papers
See MoreFeatured
Seeing Brands Through Rose-Colored Lenses: When Fear of Being Taken Advantage Of Leads to Increased Trust
Steven Shepherd, Oklahoma State University, USA
Gavan Fitzsimons, Duke University, USA
Featured
Ineffective Altruism: Giving Less When Donations Do More
Joshua Lewis, University of Pennsylvania, USA
Deborah Small, University of Pennsylvania, USA
Featured
Machine Talk: How Conversational Chatbots Promote Brand Intimacy and Influence Consumer Choice
Thomas Hilden, University of Geneva, Switzerland
Christian Hildebrand, University of Geneva, Switzerland
Gerald Häubl, University of Alberta, Canada