Six of one, half dozen of the other: Suboptimal prioritizing for equal and unequal alternatives.

ABSTRACT: It is possible to accomplish multiple goals when available resources are abundant, but when the tasks are difficult and resources are limited, it is better to focus on one task and complete it successfully than to divide your efforts and fail on both. Previous research has shown that people rarely apply this logic when faced with prioritizing dilemmas. The pairs of tasks in previous research had equal utility, which according to some models, can disrupt decision-making. We investigated whether the equivalence of two tasks contributes to suboptimal decisions about how to prioritize them. If so, removing or manipulating the arbitrary nature of the decision between options should facilitate optimal decisions about whether to focus effort on one goal or divide effort over two. Across all three

SUBMITTER: James W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9950175 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature