Research participants who covered a tray with a transparent lid after choosing a single chocolate from a large selection on the tray were more satisfied with their choices (6.03 versus 4.78 on a 7-point scale, on average) than people who didn’t cover the tray, says a team led by doctoral student Yangjie Gu of London Business School. Acts of “closure,” such as covering rejected alternatives, induce people to stop pondering missed opportunities. Companies might be able to increase satisfaction by taking simple steps to allow consumers to make peace with their decisions, the researchers say.
