The experiment where 24 jams sold worse than 6

In a study published in 2000, researchers set up a jam tasting table at the entrance of an upscale grocery store in California. They alternated between displaying 24 jams and displaying only 6, and gave everyone who came up to the table a $1 coupon for the jam. More people gathered at the larger display: 60% of passersby stopped, compared with 40% for 6 jams.

But among the people who tasted, only 3% (4 people) bought a jam from the 24-jam table, versus about 30% (31 people) from the 6-jam table. The researchers explained that when there are too many options, the motivation to choose gets weaker.

In another experiment in the same paper, participants chose one chocolate from either 6 kinds or 30 kinds. Those who chose from 30 said choosing was more enjoyable, but also harder and more frustrating. They were less satisfied with the chocolate they picked: 5.5 on a 7-point scale, lower than the 6.3 of those who chose from 6.

As payment for taking part, 12% of the 30-kind group chose a box of chocolates instead of money, compared with 48% of the 6-kind group. The more choices on display, the more fun, but satisfaction after choosing actually dropped.

In 2010, an analysis pooled 50 experiments of this kind and recalculated. The average downside of having many options was close to zero, and results varied widely between experiments. Some experiments found that many options were fine or even more satisfying. That means you cannot always expect a dramatic result like the jam table.

There are hints that the effect shows up more easily when the options are complicated or when you are not sure what you want. But no condition was found that guarantees it. If you hesitate for a long time in front of a menu, try narrowing it to two or three candidates and deciding on one criterion first.