{
  "title": "The decoy option: how the shortlist can change the choice",
  "url": "https://www.shr.swiss/blog/option-repoussoir-ce-que-la-liste-change-au-choix-en",
  "language": "en",
  "datePublished": "2026-04-23",
  "publisher": {
    "name": "SHR — Swiss Human Resources",
    "url": "https://www.shr.swiss",
    "address": "Esplanade de Pont-Rouge 9A, 1212 Lancy, Suisse"
  },
  "summary": "An option that nobody should select can nevertheless influence a decision. Research suggests examining the composition of the shortlist, not just the merits of each proposal.",
  "section": "Research",
  "topic": "Decision-making",
  "place": {
    "name": "Bern",
    "region": "Berne",
    "country": "CH"
  },
  "keyPoints": [
    {
      "heading": "What the literature establishes",
      "point": "Joel Huber, John W."
    },
    {
      "heading": "A comparison that provides a reason to choose",
      "point": "Itamar Simonson (1989, Journal of Consumer Research) examined attraction and compromise effects from the perspective of reason-based choice."
    },
    {
      "heading": "The premature conclusion",
      "point": "It would be tempting to conclude that a weak offer necessarily manipulates the committee and should always be removed."
    },
    {
      "heading": "What the evidence does not allow us to assume",
      "point": "The cited experiments concern consumer choices with a limited set of attributes; they do not directly measure administrative or industrial decisions in Berne."
    },
    {
      "heading": "A practical check in Berne",
      "point": "Within SHR’s [decision-making](/formation/prise-de-decision/berne) programme, an exercise using fictional cases can be adapted to federal administration procurement, public health, telecommunications or precision manufacturing in Berne."
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "authors": "Puto",
      "year": "1982",
      "source": "Journal of Consumer Research"
    },
    {
      "authors": "Simonson",
      "year": "1989",
      "source": "Journal of Consumer Research"
    }
  ],
  "wordCount": 401,
  "image": "https://www.shr.swiss/img/blog-editorial-2026-04-23-en.jpg?v=4",
  "translations": {
    "fr": "https://www.shr.swiss/blog/option-repoussoir-ce-que-la-liste-change-au-choix",
    "en": "https://www.shr.swiss/blog/option-repoussoir-ce-que-la-liste-change-au-choix-en",
    "de": "https://www.shr.swiss/blog/option-repoussoir-ce-que-la-liste-change-au-choix-de",
    "it": "https://www.shr.swiss/blog/option-repoussoir-ce-que-la-liste-change-au-choix-it"
  },
  "relatedPages": {
    "programme": "https://www.shr.swiss/formation/prise-de-decision/berne",
    "city": "https://www.shr.swiss/formations-ville/berne",
    "blog": "https://www.shr.swiss/blog"
  },
  "citationPolicy": "Citation autorisée avec mention « SHR — Swiss Human Resources » et lien vers l'article."
}