dataset

Decision Making

Decoy Effect

The addition of a less desirable option influences preferences, making one of the original options appear more attractive by comparison.

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Directs users towards preferred choices

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Perceived manipulation can harm trust

Best paired with

Progressive Disclosure

Gradually revealing choices prevents misleading comparisons.

Users refine selection processes through repeated comparisons.

View more pairings

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Product Pages

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Checkout

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Conversion

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Feature Adoption

The Study

Decoy Effect explores how individuals' decisions and perceptions are influenced by underlying psychological mechanisms. Research on this bias has revealed its role in everyday behaviours and decision-making processes. Studies often involve experiments where participants' reactions are observed to determine the bias's impact. This understanding helps designers and marketers craft more effective, user-centric experiences.

The result

The results indicate that decoy effect significantly influences decision-making by altering perception, recall, or emotional response. These findings provide valuable insights into cognitive behaviour, informing design strategies.

Actionable tips

1.

Use decoy options to nudge preferred choices.

2.

Design decoys ethically to maintain user trust.

3.

Test different decoy placements for influence.

Bias pairings

How pairing with other biases leads to greater impact, while pairing with some leads to a poorer experience.

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Best paired with

Progressive Disclosure

Encourages fair decision-making while avoiding manipulation.

Feedback Loop

Supports learning while maintaining transparency.

Nudge

Promotes positive engagement without distorting options.

Priming

Facilitates better choices without deception.

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Avoid pairing with

Scarcity Principle

Artificially increases demand through manipulated comparison.

Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)

Encourages impulsive decisions based on fear rather than logic.

Authority Bias

Discourages critical thinking by appealing to perceived authority.

Confirmation Bias

Strengthens biased decision-making rather than objective evaluation.

Affects on other biases

Learn the additional affect on other biases when solving for this one.

Contrast Effect

Improves decision clarity by differentiating between options effectively.

Paradox of Choice

Reduces decision fatigue by guiding users towards an optimal option.

Case studies featuring this bias

Personalisation and persuasion in Amazon's product discovery

Habit-forming within Duolingo's onboarding

Psychology Cocktails using this bias

Help users choose the right plan confidently