Experiencing something -- the savory taste of a pepperoni pizza, the sound of gentle waves lapping sugary white sand -- can be an utter delight to the senses.  But according to studies, the experience actually pales in comparison to the anticipation of that experience.  Here are just a few examples: 1. Planning and looking forward to a vacation vs. actually being there. 2. Planning to buy clothes, a car, or other items compared to consuming them.  3. Picturing yourself eating a hearty meal (especially on an empty stomach and/or while watching a restaurant ad) vs actually eating it.  Dopamine, commonly considered the happiness or "feel good" chemical, is more involved in the anticipation of an event or feeling than in the actual feeling of happiness. Often, the experience falls short of what we imagined, whether because it rains on the trip, the food leaves us with gas, or we get buyers' remorse for something we later discover we could have bought elsewhere for much c...

Is having too many choices good or bad? Some might say it's a good thing, as it allows you to pick what best suits your needs. Others contend it can be a bad thing in that it causes you to second guess your decisions, especially if the alternatives are fairly comparable. We face this type of conundrum on an almost-daily basis. Which job offer should I accept? Which computer should I buy? Which of these two guys should I become exclusive with? About a month or two before graduating from college, I was hitting the pavement hard in hopes of landing a full-time job. (Mind you, this wasn't long before the global recession began.) I went on a flurry of interviews and was offered nearly every position I applied for. I turned down the first two because I thought the salary being offered was a tad low. Besides, I didn't want to run after the first opportunity that came my way; I wished to take a little more time testing the job market waters. Unfortunately, the positio...

Did you know that we, as consumers, typically go through a 4-pronged process once we set out to make a purchase? Indeed, the Consumer Decision-Making Process consists of the following steps: 1. Need Recognition : A need is identified -- say, to buy something to wear for a job interview -- that the consumer now aims to satisfy. 2. Information Search : Now that the need has been established, the next step is to due my due diligence on what "look" would be appropriate for the firm in question. Obviously, I would have to research the company and see whether it would be more appropriate to wear business attire or something a little less formal. I can do this by either looking online or asking people who have worked there at one point or another. If I'm interviewing with an advertising agency, it's likely they'll be much more accepting of a polo shirt and jeans than a mutual funds firm would. 3. Evaluation of alternatives : Assuming I determined that a business...