How choice affects and reflects preferences: Revisiting the free-choice paradigm
Chen first author. The paper proves a theorem and then demonstrates experimentally that the free-choice paradigm will produce a spreading of preferences even if attitudes remain unchanged, because ratings measure preferences imperfectly while choices are partly guided by them. The authors state that the problem applies to the basic paradigm and to all variants examining moderators and mediators, and that it calls for a reassessment of the conclusions drawn from it.
Chen first author. The paper proves a theorem and then demonstrates experimentally that the free-choice paradigm will produce a spreading of preferences even if attitudes remain unchanged, because ratings measure preferences imperfectly while choices are partly guided by them. The authors state that the problem applies to the basic paradigm and to all variants examining moderators and mediators, and that it calls for a reassessment of the conclusions drawn from it.
Written from the abstract read 2026-10-18.
What our sources record
Recorded when this source was checked, figures included, with page references and quotation marks removed.
Chen, M. K., & Risen, J. L. (2010). How choice affects and reflects preferences: Revisiting the free-choice paradigm. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 99(4), 573-594. doi:10.1037/a0020217.