The impact of the ambiguity effect on decision-making - Deepstash
The impact of the ambiguity effect on decision-making

The impact of the ambiguity effect on decision-making

Curated from: nesslabs.com

Ideas, facts & insights covering these topics:

4 ideas

·

3.63K reads

50

Explore the World's Best Ideas

Join today and uncover 100+ curated journeys from 50+ topics. Unlock access to our mobile app with extensive features.

The ambiguity effect

Research shows that when we have to decide between two possible outcomes, one with a known probability and one with an unknown probability, we tend to choose the option with the known probability.

We skip over the difficult part of making estimates or guesses about the ambiguous option and opt instead for the familiar outcome.

86

2.67K reads

The impact of the ambiguity effect

The ambiguity effect influences our shopping habits. Research shows that people tend to choose products and services from well-known brands because they think that known brands have better quality products.

The buyer faces three potential consequences:

  • They choose a mediocre product where an unknown brand may have better quality.
  • They lose money by spending it on more expensive brand-name products.
  • They miss out on buying a product that will meet their needs.

77

356 reads

Different tolerance levels for ambiguity

People have different tolerance levels for ambiguity - the tendency to view ambiguous circumstances as desirable.

  • Those with a low tolerance for ambiguity tend to see the unknown as bad or threatening. 
  • Individuals with a high tolerance for ambiguity tend to view uncertain situations as a challenge and an opportunity for problem-solving.

78

328 reads

How to overcome the ambiguity effect

Self-reflection can help you to see where you are on the spectrum of ambiguity. Think of a time when you had to decide with limited information. How did you address it? How did you feel while trying to make a choice? Which option did you choose?

If you have low levels of tolerance for ambiguity:

  • Practice mindfulness. Be aware of your emotions.
  • Make time to think about the decisions you need to make.
  • Embrace creative solutions instead of getting stuck in fear.
  • Articulate what you want the outcome to be.

81

278 reads

IDEAS CURATED BY

aryaman

General writer. Pop culture geek.

Nimai Arya's ideas are part of this journey:

Boost Your Emotional Intelligence

Learn more about psychology with this collection

How to handle conflicts

How to identify and regulate emotions

How to develop self-awareness

Related collections

Read & Learn

20x Faster

without
deepstash

with
deepstash

with

deepstash

Personalized microlearning

100+ Learning Journeys

Access to 200,000+ ideas

Access to the mobile app

Unlimited idea saving

Unlimited history

Unlimited listening to ideas

Downloading & offline access

Supercharge your mind with one idea per day

Enter your email and spend 1 minute every day to learn something new.

Email

I agree to receive email updates