Solve the dilemma by spinning a penny? On using randomdecision-making aids

Abstract

When people find it difficult to make a decision, they may opt to let chance de cide. Flipping a coin, rolling a die, or using a counting-out rhyme are well-known decision aids. When individuals direc tly follow the aid's suggestion, the decision aid acts as a decider . But when the decision aid elicits a felt response, such as liking or disliking th e aid's suggestion, and individuals act upon this response, the decision aid serves as a catalyst . This manuscript investigates whether and how many individuals apply these two strategies. In four studies (total N = 1135), we focus on coin flips as one of the most common decision aids and place an emphasis on the catalyst strategy. We examine (1) the freq uency of previous experiences and future willingness to use a coin flip to make decisions, (2) which affective reactions accompan y the coin flip when using it as catalyst, and (3) the circumstances under which individuals are more versus less likely to a ccept the use of a random decision-making aid to come to a decision. These results illustrate the catalyst phenomenon but a lso highlight the boundary conditions of individuals' willingness to use randomness as an aid for decision making. We discuss d irections for future research as well as potential applications