Abstract
ObjectivesIt is commonly believed that individuals make choices based upon their preferences and have access to the reasons for their choices. Recent studies in several areas suggest that this is not always the case. In choice blindness paradigms, two-alternative forced-choice in which chosen-options are later replaced by the unselected option, individuals often fail to notice replacement of their chosen option, confabulate explanations for why they chose the unselected option, and even show increased preferences for the unselected-but-replaced options immediately after choice (seconds). Although choice blindness has been replicated across a variety of domains, there are numerous outstanding questions. Firstly, we sought to investigate how individual- or trial-factors modulated detection of the manipulations. Secondly, we examined the nature and temporal duration (minutes vs. days) of the preference alterations induced by these manipulations.MethodsParticipants performed a computerized choice blindness task, selecting the more attractive face between presented pairs of female faces, and providing a typewritten explanation for their choice on half of the trials. Chosen-face cue manipulations were produced on a subset of trials by presenting the unselected face during the choice explanation as if it had been selected. Following all choice trials, participants rated the attractiveness of each face individually, and rated the similarity of each face pair. After approximately two weeks, participants re-rated the attractiveness of each individual face online.ResultsParticipants detected manipulations on only a small proportion of trials, with detections by fewer than half of participants. Detection rates increased with the number of prior detections, and detection rates subsequent to first detection were modulated by the choice certainty. We show clear short-term modulation of preferences in both manipulated and non-manipulated explanation trials compared to choice-only trials (with opposite directions of effect). Preferences were altered in the direction that subjects were led to believe they selected.
Highlights
It is commonly believed that choices are the product of our reasons: we make choices by evaluating available options based on our preferences
Detection rates increased with the number of prior detections, and detection rates subsequent to first detection were modulated by the choice certainty
We show clear short-term modulation of preferences in both manipulated and non-manipulated explanation trials compared to choice-only trials
Summary
It is commonly believed that choices are the product of our reasons: we make choices by evaluating available options based on our preferences. People show increased liking for previously selected options, and decreased liking for previously rejected alternatives [1,2,3] (but see [4]) Such choice-induced preference alterations contradict a major assumption of neoclassical economics: choices reflect preferences, and preferences are unaltered by choices [5]. Participants were shown pictures of pairs of female faces, and asked to choose which face they found more attractive. On a subset of trials the face they selected was re-presented and participants were asked to provide an oral explanation for their choice. On a further subsample of such explanation trials, the faces were covertly exchanged, such that the unselected face was presented as though they had selected it and participants were asked to provide an explanation for choosing it. Similar effects have been shown for selecting the aesthetic beauty of abstract patterns [8], taste of jam/smell of tea [7], moral judgments [9], and political attitudes [10]
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