RESEARCH_FILE
Barry Schwartz
Swarthmore College
Known for:The Paradox of Choice — research establishing that expanded options increase regret and decrease satisfaction, and the Maximization Scale distinguishing maximizers from satisficers
SEE THE PRACTICE
Turn a thought this research explains into one clear move.
THE THOUGHT
“If it fails, it's all on me”
YOUR RECORDED RESPONSE
“Most calls can be revisited. I only need a decision that fits what can be undone.”
ONE PRIVATE MOVE
Pick one low-stakes decision already on your mind, write a three-word reason for it on paper, and put the paper face down on your desk for the rest of the day.
Key findings
- 2002
With Ward, Monterosso, Lyubomirsky, White, and Lehman, Schwartz developed the Maximization Scale and showed that maximizers — who seek the single best option — achieve better objective outcomes but report lower happiness, more regret, more depression, and less optimism than satisficers. Maximizing Versus Satisficing: Happiness Is a Matter of Choice ↗
- 2004
In 'The Paradox of Choice', Schwartz synthesized laboratory and field evidence to argue that beyond a threshold of options, freedom of choice becomes a burden — generating anxiety, regret, and paralysis in everyday decisions from careers to consumer goods. The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less ↗