Single-option aversion
People hesitate to buy when shown only one option, even one they like, and go off to search.
Where it applies
Two of the eight page areas.
How to use it
Three ways to put it to work.
- Show two or three comparable alternatives on the product page.
- Add a short comparison block to the product page.
- Present them so the shopper feels the comparing has been done and has less reason to search elsewhere.
What the research found
A lone option increased the wish to keep searching, in lab studies.
A lone option increased the wish to keep searching.
In a series of lab studies, a lone option increased the wish to keep searching; three independent experiments by Lee and Kim found the same, linked to anticipated regret. A 2023 re-examination (40 replications, 26,703 people) cast doubt on the older opposite claim that adding a conflicting option makes people defer more than a single option does.
Key research
Three sources, each checked.
Last reviewed
Mochon (2013) Single-Option Aversion J. Consumer Research Read the source Evangelidis, Levav & Simonson (2023) A Reexamination of the Impact of Decision Conflict on Choice Deferral Management Science Read the source Lee & Kim (2019) The Effect of Single Option on Choice Deferral: Focusing on anticipated regret Korean J. Consumer and Advertising Psychology Read the source
Before you use it · UK law
Comparisons must be accurate and like for like, and must not be set up to make alternatives look worse than they are.
This is simply a pointer to check, not legal advice. Seek legal advice before you put this principle into action.