Judgment and Decision Making (Jun 2008)

Are maximizers really unhappy? The measurement of maximizing tendency

  • Dalia L. Diab,
  • Michael A. Gillespie,
  • Scott Highhouse

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1017/S1930297500000383
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 3
pp. 364 – 370

Abstract

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Recent research suggesting that people who maximize are less happy than those who satisfice has received considerable fanfare. The current study investigates whether this conclusion reflects the construct itself or rather how it is measured. We developed an alternative measure of maximizing tendency that is theory-based, has good psychometric properties, and predicts behavioral outcomes. In contrast to the existing maximization measure, our new measure did not correlate with life (dis)satisfaction, nor with most maladaptive personality and decision-making traits. We conclude that the interpretation of maximizers as unhappy may be due to poor measurement of the construct. We present a more reliable and valid measure for future researchers to use.

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