Poll: How Do You Make Decisions? Maximzer or Satisficer

[easysurfer]

Watching the morning news and a segment referred to a Wall Street Journal article on how there are two basic styles of making decisions. One is looking for the "very best" (maximizer) and the other is "it's good enough" (satisifcer).

What style are you?

From the article:

Psychology researchers have studied how people make decisions and concluded there are two basic styles. “Maximizers” like to take their time and weigh a wide range of options—sometimes every possible one—before choosing. “Satisficers” would rather be fast than thorough; they prefer to quickly choose the option that fills the minimum criteria (the word “satisfice” blends “satisfy” and “suffice”).

The article:

http://online.wsj.com/articles/how-you-make-decisions-says-a-lot-about-how-happy-you-are-1412614997

After tallying my score on that 13 question quiz, I only had a 33 out of 91 (7 times 13), so I'm pretty much a satisficer.

The news portion:

How you make your decisions can affect happiness - CBS News

 

[ERD50]

A true 'maximizer' knows how to maximize the value of his time, and recognizes when 'good enough' is truly 'good enough'.

I'm a fan of the term 'it depends'. There's a time when only the very best will do, and times when just barely good enough is fine. It helps if you can recognize the difference and adapt, rather than take a one-size-fits-all approach.

-ERD50

 

[Walt34]

A true 'maximizer' knows how to maximize the value of his time, and recognizes when 'good enough' is truly 'good enough'.

I'm a fan of the term 'it depends'. There's a time when only the very best will do, and times when just barely good enough is fine. It helps if you can recognize the difference and adapt, rather than take a one-size-fits-all approach.

That's about where I am with it too.

 

[easysurfer]

I'm surprised that I went so much on the satisficer side.

That's one thing I learned from this article. Also, too, with age, as mentioned in both the news segment and article, I think folks tend to get more general, thus gravitate to satisficer.

One other surprise was that there really wasn't a difference in gender. But as I think about that, it does makes sense. Probably depends on the context.

 

[ERD50]

58/91 - but along with my 'it depends' statement, I had several 1,2,3s, and would have scored some zero or negative if that was 'allowed'.

-ERD50

 

[jetpack]

Being on the younger side here, I went with maximizer. decisions are often very difficult for me trying to make the best move. Paralyzed by indecision sometimes.

 

[rodi]

I definitely landed in the mid range.

But the questions skewed towards things I don't care about (clothes, videos, etc.) I tend to be on the make a decision and get-the-heck-outta-dodge for stuff like that. But big stuff - like what to invest in, who your life partner will be, what career - even what to make for dinner... those have more impact on my life... so I tend to evaluate a little more to make the best choice.

 

[MBAustin]

I pegged myself as a maximizer and indeed scored 67 on the quiz. No surprises.

 

[Meadbh]

I scored 50, right in the middle, but my scores for the questions were all over the map. I analyze lots of data and take more time over decisions that are important to me or are irreversible, but not over little things.

 

[MichaelB]

While working, my choices were mostly "good enough". Time was too precious to waste looking at options, once something met the need it was decided.

Now, with all the information available on the interwebs it is easy to research endlessly, and I happen to have more free time to do just that. Not on everything, however, just the little things that don't matter so much.

 

[FIREd]

I got 47. I don't agonize over things that don't matter, but I seek the very best outcome for things that do.

 

[Walt34]

37. Some things matter a lot, others not so much.

 

[REWahoo]

I can't decide if I want to take the test or not...

 

[Walt34]

Decisions is hard...

 

[eytonxav]

A true 'maximizer' knows how to maximize the value of his time, and recognizes when 'good enough' is truly 'good enough'.

I'm a fan of the term 'it depends'. There's a time when only the very best will do, and times when just barely good enough is fine. It helps if you can recognize the difference and adapt, rather than take a one-size-fits-all approach.

-ERD50

Other than consulting my magic eight ball, I agree with this.

 

[Goonie]

I scored a 70 out of 91. No surprise at all to me! I certainly never agonize over decisions, but I do thoroughly research and think things through before I make a decision. When I was just a little kid, my folks and grandfolks would give us kids a nickel along with the sage advice "don't go out and spend on just any old thing...wait until you find what you really want". I've carried that advice with me all of my life. And the other thing that I learned, was from Stephen Covey....."important decisions are seldom urgent, and urgent decisions are seldom important". Granted, there are definitely exceptions to that, but not very often.

 

[NW-Bound]

I did not take the test. It would take too much time, and I already know who I am.

I decided to buy my 2 present homes very quickly. In one case, I was not even looking, but happened to see it on the market, and wanted it. In the 2nd case, I looked for only 2 days till I saw what I wanted. In both cases, I paid close to asking price, and did not bargain hard.

My last new car, I did not even spend time to do research. I hated the process of buying a car, so walked into the dealership when I needed one, and they had a SUV on a special sales. Deal!

Well, sometimes it worked out. My homes, I am still happy with, and do not have 2nd thoughts about the decisions. The car, I later found out that I could have had something more suitable for my wife if I spent time to see what else was on the market. But I still have that car.

So, when it comes to something of less value than the homes or vehicles, I am not going to spend more time agonizing over it. Either something works, or it doesn't, like my clothes.

 

[Options]

59 score, though consider myself in a both/and/but category.

 

[Gumby]

How my young wife shops for clothes -- "I'd like a new blouse and skirt. Let's go to this department store and look at the ones they have. Okay, now lets go to this other store and try every single one of theirs. Finally, let's go back to the first store and buy the second thing I tried on."

How I shop for clothes -- "My blue dress shirt just disintegrated. Let's go to a store where they sell blue shirts and walk directly to that section of the store. Oh look, there's a blue dress shirt. Let's buy it."


Perfect is the enemy of good enough.

 

[Walt34]

How my young wife shops for clothes -- "I'd like a new blouse and skirt. Let's go to this department store and look at the ones they have. Okay, now lets go to this other store and try every single one of theirs. Finally, let's go back to the first store and buy the second thing I tried on."

Is DW her sister? She does the same thing.

My clothes-buying process is identical to yours.

 

[NW-Bound]

Many women set out to shop for a blouse, spend a Saturday afternoon at the mall, then go home with a new purse.

And they would go back to the mall on Sunday because they change their mind about that purse. Arghhhh! I am glad my wife is not like that.

I am going to be flagged for the above sexist remark, but I couldn't help it.

But speaking of shopping, I am wishy-washy at times too. And it happens when I do not know what I am looking for, or have any idea of what is out there. It would tell me that I need to do some research beforehand. On the other hand, a shirt is a shirt. Oxford, checked. Blue, checked. Cotton, checked. Where's the nearest cash register?

 

[Closet_Gamer]

On most things in life, I'm a total satisficer.

On big decisions (houses, cars, new computer) I'm a researching, over-thinking nightmare.

 

[scrabbler1]

A true 'maximizer' knows how to maximize the value of his time, and recognizes when 'good enough' is truly 'good enough'.

I'm a fan of the term 'it depends'. There's a time when only the very best will do, and times when just barely good enough is fine. It helps if you can recognize the difference and adapt, rather than take a one-size-fits-all approach.

-ERD50

I agree. Well put.

 

[imoldernu]

Only a few of the questions had anything to do with me and decisions.. the rest, like shopping or choosing friends don't register. How do you quantify on a scale of 1 to 7 "I never settle for second best? and how does that differ from "no matter what I do, I have the highest standards for myself?

Egad... have we come to this?

“Maximizers are people who want the very best. Satisficers are people who want good enough,” says Barry Schwartz, a professor of psychology at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania and author of “The Paradox of Choice.”

Dr. Schwartz has developed a 13-level test to assess a person’s decision-making orientation.

Figgers... Swarthmore.... He never would have gotten away with this at Bowdoin.

 

[unclemick]

Decisions is hard...

Right!

heh heh heh - I surfed this forum the last few innings so's I wouldn't jinx the game. Yea Royals - on to game 7. Fireworks in the neighborhood as I type.

If I did take the test - I'd probably be in the middle.