{"id":33415,"date":"2021-04-25T16:04:37","date_gmt":"2021-04-25T20:04:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=33415"},"modified":"2021-04-29T21:28:48","modified_gmt":"2021-04-30T01:28:48","slug":"public-decision-making","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/public-decision-making\/","title":{"rendered":"Public Decision-Making: When Choices Are Harder"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Why do we make irrational choices when we have to make a decision<\/a> in public? How can we counter the urge to make unique choices?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Studies show that when we have to make decisions aloud, we tend to choose things we don’t actually want in order to maintain our independence<\/a> and end up dissatisfied. There are some steps we can take towards making more satisfying choices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Continue reading to learn how to make more satisfying choices when forced into public decision-making<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Psychology of Public-Decision Making<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When we’re forced to do public decision-making, we tend to make very different choices than we would privately. Furthermore, when groups of people make decisions aloud, their choices are much more varied than they would be if they were choosing privately. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is because people feel a natural, but irrational, need to protect their individuality by making choices that are different from those already \u201ctaken\u201d by others. Subsequently, those who make decisions in private are more likely to be satisfied with their choice, because they\u2019ve made a choice based on preference and not a need to prove something. We make choices based on our need to project a certain image of ourselves, even if those choices are not necessarily the best or most rational choices for us. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Experiment: The Beer Tasting Menu<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

At a brewery, experimenters offered free beer samples to 100 tables. There were four different beers on the menu. At the first 50 tables, clients were asked to make their orders out loud. The beers were delivered with a short survey that asked respondents how much they liked the beer they chose, and if they regretted their choice. At the second set of 50 tables, the process was the same, except that clients were asked to write down their orders instead of saying them aloud. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The experimenters found that the tables that ordered publicly ordered a greater variety of beer for their table\u2014speaking to our need to make individual choices that haven\u2019t yet been taken by others. Furthermore, the tables that ordered out loud were not as satisfied with their choices and expressed a higher rate of regret than those tables that ordered privately\u2014speaking to our tendency to make choices that look good to others, even if they\u2019re not the right choices for us. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Note that the first<\/em> person to order out loud usually enjoyed their beer more than everyone at their table\u2014just as much as those who ordered privately. By going first, they were able to announce their decision without the burden of considering others\u2019 choices, like those who ordered privately. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Orders Can Reflect Cultural Values<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s interesting is that the tendency to make public decisions that demonstrate individuality is largely culture-dependent. Whereas the beer experiment exposed the value that Americans place on uniqueness, a similar experiment in a Hong Kong restaurant revealed the value their culture places on conformity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Hong Kong, when the participants were able to order privately, their tables chose a wider variety of dishes. When they ordered out loud, however, many participants opted to order the same thing as the person before them\u2014reducing the variety of different meals ordered and their overall satisfaction with the meal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Making More Satisfying Choices<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The inherent need to make choices that are yours<\/em> can hold you back from making rational decisions<\/a> in a number of areas. Perhaps you\u2019ll simply end up ordering a drink you don\u2019t really want at a bar, or you\u2019ll choose a university you don\u2019t love<\/em> because a rival of yours already chose your first pick. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s often difficult to know how you\u2019ll act in a state of emotional arousal\u2014which may easily happen when your individuality is called into question. Therefore, it\u2019s helpful to think ahead and put some tools into place to help you make decisions and stick to them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n