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Choice overload 0:39
A 39-second explainer of Choice overload, narrated over the same demo you can try yourself.
Try the interactive Choice overload demo
What this video covers
Choice overload (the paradox of choice) is when too many options make a decision harder, not easier - people take longer, feel less sure, regret more, and sometimes don't choose at all. It's more than Hick's extra seconds: it's the weight of the options themselves.
From the wall of twenty-four, choosing was a slog - and even after picking, the twenty-three you skipped left a nag of "what if?". From the curated six you decided quickly and felt you'd seen them all. Same jam; the only difference was how many you had to weigh. That's choice overload.
