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MIT study: it's hard to let go
Feb 27, 2008
I've said for a long time that the solution to information overload is to let the bits go: always look for ways to delete, defer, or otherwise avoid bits, so that the few that remain are more relevant and easier to handle. This is the core philosophy of Bit Literacy.
In recent presentations to various groups, though, I've noticed that there's often a problem. Many people want to change, know they need to change, but have trouble contemplating actually changing their habits to let go.
Thus my interest in this Times piece, which recounts an unusual behavioral study at MIT. It turns out that lots of people really are wired to hold on, even if they know that it makes no sense.
Most people can’t make such a painful choice, not even the students at a bastion of rationality like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where Dr. Ariely is a professor of behavioral economics. In a series of experiments, hundreds of students could not bear to let their options vanish, even though it was obviously a dumb strategy.
The experiments involved a game that eliminated the excuses we usually have for refusing to let go... [for example,] you don’t even know how a camera’s burst-mode flash works, but you persuade yourself to pay for the extra feature just in case.
See also: Interview with Barry Schwartz, author of The Paradox of Choice.
I remember reading somewhere that "the potential for loss" is a more powerful motivator than "the potential for gain".
I've watched that principle at work in so many (sometimes) heartbreaking situations. Interesting article - thanks.
I'm a convert. I just bought a cordless phone for my house based on three factors: average customer rating, simplicity (or lack) of features, and appearance.
Yes, I wanted it to look nice, but the first two points were most important. It had to work well and, almost as importantly, I wanted just a phone, not something that did everything else. I consciously decided to pay more for less.
Hi Mark,
Regarding:
"I've said for a long time...always look for ways to...avoid bits, so that the few that remain are more relevant and easier to handle.
Related to this, it *is* your blog to do with as you please, but wouldn't you create a better "good experience" :-) for your readers, as well as cut down on unneeded bits if you didn't fill your blog with endless listings of job openings. For me it really detracts from the enjoyment of reading your blog when I constantly have to scan through 9 such job "ads" to get to what I want. It just seems *so* strange for a guy who blogs about "good experience". Why not create a section so the (I'm guessing) 1% of people who come here looking for them can look at them?
Thanks for listening.