Re:On Preferring A to B, while also preferring B to A
by koala_man on Sunday July 15, 2018 @02:03PM
(#17536261)
This relates to the Presenter's Paradox, where the presenter has seen both options while the recipient sees only one. As such, they prefer different things.
One study even quantified it[1]. For example, they found that people perceived the value of an iPod at $108, while an iPod with plus a free music download was valued at $86. Side-by-side, the choice is obvious, but individually humans tend to evaluate bundles based on some average rather than a sum.
This has immediate, practical applications for us in everyday life:
* If you're going to buy someone an expensive gift, don't add any extras or bonus accessories.
* If you're sending out resumes, mention your most relevant experience without padding it out with less relevant ones.
* If you're up for a review, "I fixed serious issue X" will make you seem more valuable than "I fixed serious issue X, and this unaligned icon on the web site"
One study even quantified it[1]. For example, they found that people perceived the value of an iPod at $108, while an iPod with plus a free music download was valued at $86. Side-by-side, the choice is obvious, but individually humans tend to evaluate bundles based on some average rather than a sum.
This has immediate, practical applications for us in everyday life:
* If you're going to buy someone an expensive gift, don't add any extras or bonus accessories.
* If you're sending out resumes, mention your most relevant experience without padding it out with less relevant ones.
* If you're up for a review, "I fixed serious issue X" will make you seem more valuable than "I fixed serious issue X, and this unaligned icon on the web site"
[1] http://bear.warrington.ufl.edu/williams/Mar_3503/MAR_3503_Ho...