Doing things efficiently: Testing an account of why simple explanations are satisfying

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Science
• Psychology
• Decision-Making

Background:

• Humans often favor simpler explanations over complex ones.
• This preference may extend beyond explanations to goal-directed processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if the preference for simplicity applies to goal achievement processes.
• To determine how statistical information influences preferences for simple versus complex methods.

Main Methods:

• Seven preregistered experiments with 2820 participants.
• Participants evaluated simple and complex methods for producing outcomes, as explanations or processes.
• Statistical information about causal elements was manipulated.

Main Results:

• Participants consistently preferred simple methods for explanations and processes when no statistical information was present.
• Preferences for simplicity decreased and often reversed when statistical information was provided.
• Similar patterns were observed for both explanation and process judgments.

Conclusions:

• The preference for simplicity in explanations is linked to a broader tendency for efficient goal completion.
• Cognitive mechanisms underlying judgments of explanations and goal-directed processes are likely shared.
• Statistical information plays a crucial role in modulating these simplicity preferences.