With the old romantic adage of “there’s plenty of fish in the sea," one might assume that having more potential partners increases the chances of success when it comes to romantic relationships. Recent research, however, suggests that feeling as though we have too many choices can have the opposite effect, leading to decision paralysis and relationship instability. This phenomenon, known as choice overload (or, in other words, feeling so overwhelmed by options that we feel unable to decide on which option to choose), was examined in a study recently published in Behavioral Science (August 2024).
While similar studies have been conducted on how choice overload affects buying decisions (for instance, one study found that 30 percent of consumers who saw a small assortment of jams actually purchased jam, compared to 3 percent who saw a large assortment instead), but little research has explored the effect of choice when it comes to making romantic decisions. With the COVID-19 pandemic fueling online dating, where one can swipe through hundreds of choices a day, and recent data projecting that 45 percent of American........