Less is More Effect
Updated 2026-08-09
INTRODUCTION
English translation pending.
CORE DEFINITION
Demonstrated by Christopher Hsee in research on evaluability, the less is more effect shows that adding a flawed item to a good set can lower the value assigned to the whole. A complete dinner service is rated more highly than the same service plus several broken cups, because people average the quality of the components rather than adding their quantities. The effect appears in separate evaluation and depends on how the evaluator aggregates the parts.
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
- Test each addition: ask whether the new element raises or dilutes the average quality. - Cut the filler: remove mediocre extras that drag down the perceived value of the package. - Keep the minimum set: retain only the elements that carry the intended meaning.
Anchor fast decisions
When people evaluate a bundle, they tend to average the quality of its parts rather than sum their quantities. Adding an element of below-average quality therefore pulls the average down, and the whole is judged worse than before even though it contains more. The effect reverses when the addition is clearly above average.
MINIMUM ACTION
In progress 0/1Practice this model in one real situation:
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Source support: Explicit
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Less-is-better_effectverified
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