Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
Psychol Sci. 2012 Oct 1;23(10):1186-92. doi: 10.1177/0956797612440458. Epub 2012 Aug 21.
People like having options when choosing, but having too many options can lead to negative decision-related consequences. The present study focused on how social-relational factors--common aspects of daily life--can maintain or attenuate the appeal of choice. Study 1 examined the effect of a supportive- or nonsupportive-relationship prime on the decision to pay for having more options in choosing a consumer product. People who thought of supportive relationships, compared with those who thought of nonsupportive ones (and control participants), were less willing to pay for a larger choice set. Study 2 showed that the activation of thoughts of security and calmness in participants recalling supportive relationships (compared with participants recalling nonsupportive relationships) mediated the appeal of choice. This finding offers one possible explanation for the reduced desire for options when people are reminded of supportive relationships.
人们在做选择时喜欢有多种选择，但选择过多可能会导致负面的决策相关后果。本研究关注的是社会关系因素——日常生活中的常见方面——如何维持或减弱选择的吸引力。研究 1 考察了支持性关系或非支持性关系的启动对支付更多选择来购买消费品的决策的影响。与想到非支持性关系的人（以及控制组参与者）相比，想到支持性关系的人不太愿意为更大的选择集支付费用。研究 2 表明，与回忆非支持性关系的参与者相比，回忆支持性关系的参与者激活了安全感和平静感的想法，从而降低了对选择的吸引力。这一发现为当人们想起支持性关系时，对选择的欲望降低提供了一种可能的解释。
