How Choice Overload Hijacks Your Brain and Decision Making
July 04, 2025Categories: Psychology and Decision Making, Podcast Episode
The Biased Brain Podcast with Owen Hawthorne
Explore the intriguing world of cognitive biases and human cognition in this engaging podcast. Discover how bias in decision making shapes our perceptions and influences our choices. Join us as we delve into the science behind critical thinking and biases, providing practical insights to enhance your understanding and control over your thought processes. Whether you're a psychology student or curious observer, this podcast offers valuable tools to help you unveil the hidden biases in your mind.
Why Having Too Many Choices Can Make Your Brain Freeze
You ever walked into a store or scrolled through an app and just felt totally overwhelmed by the sheer number of options? Like, you’re trying to pick a new cereal, and there are fifty different boxes staring back at you. Sounds familiar, right? What you’re experiencing is something called “choice overload,” and it’s a surprisingly common phenomenon that researchers have been studying for decades.
At first glance, it seems like more options would always be better. I mean, who doesn’t want to have the freedom to pick exactly what they want? But here’s the catch: too many choices can actually mess with our decision-making. It’s like your brain stalls because it’s trying to weigh every single option, and that can lead to feeling anxious, frustrated, or even just plain stuck.
This idea goes way beyond just picking a cereal. Studies show that when people face an overwhelming number of choices, they’re more likely to:
- Put off making a decision altogether
- Feel less satisfied after making the choice
- Second guess themselves more
One classic experiment, for example, showed people samples of different types of jam. When the participants were offered 24 varieties, only about 3% actually bought a jar. But when they were offered just 6 varieties, a whopping 30% made a purchase. That’s a huge difference! It basically reveals that our brains can get paralyzed when faced with too many options.
Now, this all ties into a bigger discussion about human cognition and cognitive biases—basically, ways our “biased brain” can trick us or lead us astray. Our brains are pretty amazing, but they’re also wired to use shortcuts to make decisions quicker. So when we’re overwhelmed, these shortcuts might kick in more, sometimes causing bias in decision making.
Understanding cognitive biases, especially when confronted with choice overload, can sharpen your critical thinking and biases awareness. Think of it like having a conversation with your own mind, recognizing when you’re getting overloaded so you can pause and step back from the chaos. It's not just about making a choice—it's about how you make that choice thoughtfully.
And this concept is explored beautifully in the book, The Biased Brain by Bo Bennett, PhD. If you want to understand more about how your brain’s natural quirks influence your everyday decisions, it’s a great resource. You can check it out at TheBiasedBrain.com. The book helps peel back the layers of our mental processes, making it easier to catch yourself in those moments when the “biased brain” is running the show.
So next time you’re stuck in a store aisle or scrolling endlessly through streaming choices, remember: the problem isn’t you. It’s that your brain is trying to avoid decision overload—a classic bias in decision making. Sometimes, cutting down the number of options or setting a limit for yourself can be a practical hack to keep your mental energy intact.
To sum it up: choice overload reminds us that more options don’t always equal better outcomes. Being aware of this and other cognitive biases can help improve your decision-making skills and make life a little less stressful.
If you want to get a better grip on how your mind works and how these biases affect your daily choices, take some time to explore The Biased Brain. It’s a fascinating look at human cognition that’s both enlightening and practical. You’ll walk away with new tools for critical thinking and a better understanding of your own mental processes.
Remember, having an understanding of cognitive biases isn’t just for psychologists or academics. It’s for anyone who wants to make smarter choices, feel less overwhelmed, and enjoy the process along the way.
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