Choice Architecture · interactive demo
Can a Third Option Change Which Plan You Prefer?
Choose between two plans, then compare the same choice after a clearly weaker third option appears.
Question
Can an inferior comparison option change preference between two original alternatives?
This is an educational demonstration, not a scientific measurement of you. One response cannot show that a bias caused your choice.
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Random condition
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Evidence-reviewed lens
Decoy Effect
The decoy effect is a well-documented family of context effects in which adding an inferior or otherwise strategically positioned alternative can change choice shares among the original options. The classic attraction effect uses an asymmetrically dominated decoy that is worse than the target but not necessarily worse than the competitor. The effect is not guaranteed: its size depends on the geometry of the options, prior preferences, task design and other moderators, and preregistered replications have found both successful and weak or null results.
How to interpret this
The interesting variable is the choice set. If preference changes after adding the weak Plus option, the comparison structure is doing work.
Better check: Remove any option you would never choose and compare the remaining alternatives on your actual needs.