Less is better: When low-value options are valued more highly than high-value options
Christopher Hsee showed that an option of lower value can be valued more highly than one of higher value when each is judged alone. In the dinnerware study, one set had 24 intact pieces and the other 40 pieces with some cups and saucers broken. Participants who saw one set priced the 24-piece set higher, 32.69 dollars against 23.25. Participants who saw both sets priced the 40-piece set higher, 32.03 dollars against 29.70.
Christopher Hsee showed that an option of lower value can be valued more highly than one of higher value when each is judged alone. In the dinnerware study, one set had 24 intact pieces and the other 40 pieces with some cups and saucers broken. Participants who saw one set priced the 24-piece set higher, 32.69 dollars against 23.25. Participants who saw both sets priced the 40-piece set higher, 32.03 dollars against 29.70.
Written from the original design and results as reported in the 2023 replication, read 2026-10-27; the paper itself was not read.
What our sources record
Recorded when this source was checked, figures included, with page references and quotation marks removed.
Hsee, C. K. (1998). Less is better: When low-value options are valued more highly than high-value options. Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, 11(2), 107-121.