Unconscious information processing reduces information overload and increase product satisfaction

Consumers are less satisfied with a product chosen from an extended assortment than one from a limited assortment (Iyengar & Lepper, 2000). Presumably, information overload is responsible for decreased satisfaction. Decreasing information overload during the decision process should therefore increase satisfaction. One possibility to increase processing capacity is unconscious information processing (Dijksterhuis et al. 2006). We demonstrate that a spontaneous selection from an extended assortment leads to an information overload as well as extensive conscious information processing. However, unconscious information processing is one way to enjoy the advantages of an extended assortment without an information overload.