Mental Representation and Perceived Similarity: How Abstract Mindset Aids Choice from Large Assortments

Abstract

A recent meta-analysis has found that an increase in the size of an assortment has no reliable impact on choice difficulty. Building on a fundamental property of cognition, the authors investigate the link between mental representation and the choice overload effect based on the size of the assortment. They propose that the mental representation of a large assortment changes the perceived similarity of the assortment and consequently affects the degree of choice difficulty. Specifically, when choosing from a large assortment, consumers with an abstract representation perceive the options in the assortment as being more similar and accordingly experience less choice difficulty than those with a concrete representation of the assortment. The authors discuss theoretical and practical implications of the findings.