Wednesday, February 27, 2013

A.O.C.: Values & Choice

Haley Scholars Spring 2013 Reading Groups 

By Danielle Hall

As we’ve been reading each chapter of The Art of Choosing, we have had many opportunities to contemplate and discuss the complex processes involved in making decisions. However, I found chapter 5 “I, Robot?” particularly interesting because Iyengar identified the ways that our choices are often “manipulated” by external factors beyond our control. Some of the noted examples from the chapter were the “Ballet Slippers” vs. “Adore-A-Ball” nail polish samples in “Neutral Observer,” color and trend predictions of fashion designers and retailers in “You Say Chicken, I Say Egg,” and bottled water vs. tap in “There Is A Difference.”

According o Iyengar, "we tend to put choice on a pedestal, so much so that we expect to be able to bend everything to our will." However, she notes, "we would serve ourselves better by separating the influences that conflict with our values from the influences that are basically harmless" (175).


What did you find most useful about the discussion of values and choice in chapter 5? Why and how so?

7 comments:

Kiara Gay said...

I actually found the tap water versus bottled water section the most interesting because it makes you realize that a lot of things are not what they seem and may influence our choices. The section shows that sometimes our choices may be because we give in to the hype of things that may not be necessarily accurate or true, just because that is what everyone else is doing.

Jade Green said...

The thing that I found most useful was how things can change your choices. I believe that if you keep your values straight then your choices should follow what you value. If something isn't in your values then you should make a wise choice not to do such things.

Unknown said...

I found that the argument surrounding the differentiation between the types of influences to be the most powerful argument. Acknowledging the influences and considering exactly the magnitude at which they conflict with values can help in decision making. In some ways this gives you even more power.

Unknown said...

I found that the argument surrounding the differentiation between the types of influences to be the most powerful argument. Acknowledging the influences and considering exactly the magnitude at which they conflict with values can help in decision making. In some ways this gives you even more power.

Unknown said...

I found that the argument surrounding the differentiation between the types of influences to be the most powerful argument. Acknowledging the influences and considering exactly the magnitude at which they conflict with values can help in decision making. In some ways this gives you even more power.

Malia Gamble said...

I found the tap vs bottled water discussion most interesting. This stuck with me because it made me really think about how easily we jump on the bandwagon. I also agree with what Kiara Gay said about it making you realize that things aren't what they appear to be. We tend to like things that are popular regardless where it came from.

Unknown said...

I found the bottled water versus tap water interesting. It made me realize that most of the time, we just sit back and let trends take over without ever realizing where it comes from.