Decoy Effect
Behavioral & Decision Making
Decoy Effect
The phenomenon where consumers change their preference between two options when presented with a third option that is asymmetrically dominated.
Explained
- Adding a third, clearly inferior option can shift preference between the original two.
- The decoy exists only to make one target look obviously better by comparison.
- People rarely choose the decoy, yet its presence reshapes the whole decision.
- Pricing tables use a slightly worse middle plan to push users toward the intended one.
In the wild3 screens
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