Illusion of Choice:

Illusion of choice causes us to feel we have more or more diverse options available to us than there are in reality. It’s a cognitive bias that gives us a false sense of agency so we feel empowered and autonomous. We might be manipulated for others’ benefit or to cause us to take the blame for things we have no power over. The way others present choices might guide us to a particular outcome without realizing underlying negative influences actually guiding us. Illusion of choice is used in marketing to make people feel they’re in control of their purchase decisions, even with limited choices. The term was first use by American philosopher/psychologist William James in his 1896 essay, “The Will to Believe.” He argued choices can be forced or avoided. In a 2000 paper, psychologists Sheena Iyengar and Mark Lepper found people are more likely to purchase products and are more satisfied with their purchases if given fewer choices. This finding is known as the paradox of choice.