We live in a time where the choices that are provided to us are almost infinite. The choices of where to live, what to study, where to work, what occupation to persue and what product to choose can sometimes be overwhelming and it can make deciding which option to choose very hard. There are different strategies we can undergo that help us make a decision. But because of the endless amount of options provided to us, there are some of us (maximisers) who like to make the most of that and need to invesitigate all possibilities, whereas others (satisficers) are content with the first option they stumble upon that satisfies them. But what effect can this decision making process have on our general life satisfaction? Are maximisers happier because they find the best possible option, or are satisficers happier because they spend less time agonising over the decision? Barry Schwartz and colleagues provide the answer to these questions.

There are two types of decision-makers.

Maximizers are people that employ strategies to get the very best by examining all possible alternatives. They need to be assured that every purchase or decision was the best that could be made and that is why they check out all the alternatives.

Satisficers are satisfied with “good enough”.  They have criteria and standards, and will search until they find an item that meets those standards, and at that point, they stop.

Maximizers are often quite successful and high achieving but they also tend to be less optimistic, less satisfied, have lower self-esteem, and are less happy than satisficers.  A study conducted by Barry Schwartz and colleagues gives us insight into the differences between maximisers and satisficers.

For his study, five hundred and forty-eight graduating students from 11 universities were categorised as maximisers or satisficers based on their answers to questions like “When I am in the car listening to the radio, I often check other stations to see if something better is playing, even if I am relatively satisfied with what I’m listening to”.

When questioned again the following summer, the maximisers had found jobs that paid 20 per cent more on average than the satisficers’ jobs, but they were less satisfied with the outcome of their job search, and were more pessimistic, stressed, tired, anxious, worried, overwhelmed and depressed.

From these results, they concluded the maximisers’ pursuit for the best possible option can harvest unrealistic expectations and are therefore more likely to have negative feelings towards their final choice.  Because they search through an endless amount of possibilities they increase their potential for regret or anticipated regret, as evidenced by the findings that the maximisers were more likely to report fantasising about jobs they hadn’t applied for and wishing they had pursued even more jobs than they did.

“Even when they get what they want, maximisers may not always want what they get”, the researchers concluded.

Before you get down on yourself and feel even worse, it’s important to note that you are not one or the other. There are things about which you maximize and others where you satisfice. The trick is to acknowledge your weak points and find ways to be happier without being too greedy and wanting to investigae all the options.

It’s important to take this advice on board in all aspects of your life, including dating/relationships.

Do you find that you have spent endless amount of time on dates and in relationships and still haven’t been able to find what you are looking for? Or has it always been right in front of you, yet you’ve been too busy looking at all the other available options to actually see and appreciate what is in front of you? The important lesson here is to not be too picky because you may find yourself wrapped up in a relationship thinking about all the other girls/guys out there and what they have to offer. You may even experience some regret about your decision because you feel as if you should have considered more people than you did.

What type of decision maker are you?

Do you agonise over all the possible options before you make a choice, or do you just take the first available option?

How has your decision making abilities affected your life and happiness?

I would love to hear your thoughts, so leave a comment below.

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