Decision-Making without Social Regulation
Today, I came across the following thesis in Joan Westenberg’s newsletter1: McDonald’s discovered that customers who order through self-service kiosks make different choices than those ordering from a human cashier. Without social signals like eye contact or pauses in conversation, people tend to order more – for example, two burgers instead of one. The absence of social control from others leads to impulses being expressed more freely. This shows that digital interfaces are not only more convenient, but also strip away natural psychological barriers that would otherwise regulate our behavior. (Good news for McDonalds)
Social influences shape our decisions
In the real world, our decisions are often influenced by social signals. When interacting with others, we subconsciously pay attention to their reactions – a quick glance, a raised eyebrow, or a pause in conversation can make us reflect. These small cues help us regulate our behavior and reconsider impulsive decisions.
Decisions in digital environments without social control
In the digital space, direct social signals that make us reflect are absent. Without eye contact or reactions from others, we act more impulsively.
- Online shopping: A single click, and the shopping cart fills with impulse purchases. No one is watching critically, so we think less.
- Online dating: Without a real person in front of us, we swipe quickly, rather than taking time for a deeper connection. The person, with their complex social depth, disappears behind images that are superficially judged.
- Social media: Without direct consequences, we post unfiltered opinions that we might hold back in a real conversation.
Digital platforms make decisions easier – but often also more thoughtless (and this on purpose).