Re:The default effect: why we renounce our ability to choose
by danybittel on Tuesday November 08, 2022 @02:19AM
(#33516704)
But isn't "don't reinvent the wheel" also sort of a default effect? We also call it the "not invented here" syndrome. Which shows that the user "defaults" to use the things he already knows instead of going out and find that (unknown to him) standard.
I definitely find myself in that position. I have a strong resistance to uncritically making decisions based on the default that is presented to me, and while I do view this as a valuable part of my mindset in many circumstances, it also is quite often the wrong call in retrospect, whether it's absorbing too much risk, accepting too much decision fatigue over insignificant choices, or even choosing suboptimally just to make a point
I think a lot of people could benefit from trying to make more choices, but I've very seldom met advice whose opposite wasn't appropriate for someone, and even less often met advice that's wise for everyone in every circumstance
Too often, studies that find that e.g. 67% of their participants behave a certain way - often in fairly constructed conditions - create a false sense of consensus and homogeneity, even among fairly smart consumers of such information, when reported this way