The maximizing consumer wants even more choices: How consumers cope with the marketplace of overchoice

摘要

It is human nature to want to seek maximum rewards for all our efforts and actions. Accordingly, it is natural for consumers to seek the best products their money could buy. In psychology literature this human trait is called maximizing (Simon, 1956). Consumers differ in their proclivity for maximization: some consumers are maximizers, scoring high on this trait; others score low on this trait and are called satisficers (Simon, 1955, 1956). Maximizers seek the best option that exists in every endeavor in life; in contrast, satisficers are content when they identify an option good enough for their purposes (Simon, 1955, 1956; Schwartz, 2002). How does this play out in consumer decision making in the marketplace?