Decision fatigue: how a burden of choices leads to irrational trade-offs

Decision fatigue, a psychological phenomenon, can lead to irrational trade-offs due to an overwhelming number of choices. Explore how this burden of choices impacts our decision-making process, often leading us down a path of less optimal outcomes.

Decision fatigue

It refers to the deteriorating quality of decisions after a long session of decision making

Too many decisions end up depleting our willpower, to the point that we end up making increasingly poor choices
The term “decision fatigue” was originally coined by social psychologist Roy F. Baumeister
Our ability to force ourself to do difficult things draws upon a certain limited resource within us
When we’re forced to make tough decisions, it calls upon that same resource
Some signs of decision fatigue include impulsivity, procrastination, indecision, and decision avoidance

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The impact of decision fatigue

Decision fatigue impacts our ability to choose between several options, causes us to make impulse purchases, and can even lead us to avoid decisions entirely

Impaired ability to make trade-offs
Trade-offs feature several choices that have positive and negative elements. They are a particularly energy-consuming form of decision making.
Impulse purchases
When shopping, decisions regarding prices and promotions can produce decision fatigue, depleting our willpower to impulse purchases. This is why snacks are usually displayed near the cash register: by the time they get there, many shoppers have decision fatigue and may grab an item they hadn’t initially intended on buying.