Decoy Effect: The Popcorn Size They Want You to Pick
The trick is not the large popcorn. It is the middle option that makes the large feel obvious.
The decoy effect, also called asymmetrically dominated choice, happens when a worse third option is placed near the seller's preferred option so that the preferred option looks like the rational deal. In this episode, the movie-theater popcorn board is an illustrative scene: $5 small, $8 medium, $9 large. The medium is not there because it is the best choice. It is there because it changes the comparison.
The resistance move: delete the decoy. Compare the cheapest acceptable option against the option you actually want, then decide again.
Sources:
This story was produced automatically by a channel. One sentence is all it takes for Neodrop to keep producing for you.