An examination of the relationship between number of alternatives and satisfaction to the selected item

Research Project

Project/Area Number	23730589
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
Allocation Type	Multi-year Fund
Research Field	Social psychology
Research Institution	Rissho University
Principal Investigator	YOSHIHIKO YAGI 立正大学, 公私立大学の部局等, 准教授 (80375485)
Project Period (FY)	2011 – 2013
Project Status	Completed (Fiscal Year 2013)
Budget Amount *help	¥4,160,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥960,000) Fiscal Year 2013: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000) Fiscal Year 2012: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000) Fiscal Year 2011: ¥1,820,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥420,000)
Keywords	意思決定 / 選択行動 / 選択のオーバーロード / 選択 / 満足度
Research Abstract	A large number of alternatives sometimes reduce consumers' satisfaction to the selected item (choice overload). This study investigated the effects of the physical properties of choice and the personality trait of participants on the choice overload. The results showed that participants evaluated more positively a large number of alternatives than a small number of alternatives. On the other hand, the effect of the number of alternatives was disappeared when participants were asked to report their own satisfaction to the selected item. Moreover, this pattern of the results was not varied when there was a substantial delay before conducting choice behavior and when choice behavior was to be repeated 40 times.