Present three options to build consensus
Cognitive biases lead people to evaluate options in context. There are strong biases that impact decision making when there are one or two options.
In a study by Daniel Mochon at University of Missouri, participants were split into three groups and asked to purchase DVD players.
| Group | Experiment | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Presented a Sony DVD player | 9% interested in purchasing |
| 2 | Presented a Philips DVD player | 10% interested in purchasing |
| 3 | Presented both DVD players | 32% chose Sony, 34% chose Philips |
Participants that were presented a second choice were 6.5x more likely to exhibit an intent to buy.
The single-option aversion bias can be overcome by providing a second option which is clearly worse. The presence of the worse option makes it clear that the primary option isn’t as bad, and the audience feels like they have a choice in making the decision.
In addition to single-option aversion, Contrast effect bias and Extreme aversion bias can also influence decision making. As a general rule, present three options when driving consensus
| Source | Creator |
|---|---|
| Single-Option Aversion (missouri.edu) | @Daniel Mochon, Assistant professor of Marketing at Tulane. |
| How the Perfect Number of Choices Can Increase Conversions - Foundr | Foundr |