difficulty of choice

USAGE SUMMARY

"difficulty of choice" is a perfectly acceptable phrase to use in written English.
Example: Faced with an overwhelming selection of products, we found ourselves overwhelmed by the difficulty of choice.

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

6 human-written examples

Instead even options unavailable for choice (which could not affect the difficulty of choice selection) affected activity.

Nature

These two plaques symbolize the difficulty of choice for a culture divided through no choice of its own.

The New York Times

Activity in the ACC could not be explained by the hypothesis that only options available for choice (and which might therefore affect the difficulty of choice selection) determined activity levels.

Nature

The statements were coded as: Variable Statement Time pressure I did the media choice in a big hurry Difficulty of choice Making media choice was easy (disagree).

European Journal of Futures Research

The rostral anterior cingulate cortex was also more active and correlated positively with self-reported difficulty of choice during vital-vital loss decisions.

Plosone

Separate repeated-measures one-way analysis of variances (ANOVAs) were conducted to analyze the average RTs, self-reported difficulty of choice, and negative and positive affect ratings of choice under three loss decision conditions.

Plosone

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

Perceived difficulty of the choice task, self-reported choice certainty and choice consistency were similar across the two experiments.

Landscape and Urban Planning

Those included "translations" of medical language, the emotional difficulties of choices, and the use of what they called attractive layout and illustrations.

BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making

But we asked our participants to rate the difficulty of the choice, and we found that this did not predict their tendency to delegate choices for others.

Harvard Business Review

In addition to the 10 choice sets, the 26-page survey questionnaire included one closed question on the perceived difficulty of the choice tasks (response options: not at all hard, a little hard, quite hard, very hard, extremely hard) and sections on joint pain (previous history, recent healthcare use, Brief Illness Perceptions Questionnaire: Revised, 66 and basic sociodemographic characteristics).

BMJ Open

The centerpiece of Stewart's piece was on former CEO of BP, Jim Browne, who recently wrote a book on his years of anguish and the difficulty of his choice to hide his sexual orientation at work.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When discussing the abstract concept, "difficulty of choice" can effectively convey the challenges in decision-making, especially when options are numerous or complex. Make sure the context clearly establishes what choices are being considered.

Common error

Avoid attributing the "difficulty of choice" solely to the number of options. Sometimes, the difficulty stems from conflicting values, uncertain outcomes, or lack of information, not just the quantity of choices.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "difficulty of choice" functions primarily as a noun phrase. It acts as a subject, object, or complement within a sentence, referring to the inherent challenges or complexities associated with making a selection among multiple options. As suggested by Ludwig, it's an acceptable phrase for written English.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

43%

News & Media

36%

Formal & Business

21%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "difficulty of choice" is a grammatically sound and frequently used phrase, as validated by Ludwig, for describing the challenges inherent in decision-making. Predominantly found in scientific and news contexts, the expression serves to highlight complexities arising from numerous options or conflicting values. While generally neutral in register, it's essential to acknowledge that overuse or focusing exclusively on quantity over quality might lead to misinterpretations. For those seeking alternative expressions, "constraint of choice", "complexity of choice", or even "trouble deciding" offer nuanced options. Overall, "difficulty of choice" is an appropriate expression to describe problems when making a decision.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

difficulty of selection

Emphasizes the challenging aspect of the selection process.

challenge of choice

Highlights the problematic aspects of having to choose.

complexity of choice

Draws attention to the intricate nature of decision-making.

difficulty of picking

Highlights the challenges in deciding/picking.

constraint of choice

Focuses on limitations impacting decision-making.

difficulty of preference

Focuses on the challenges in determining one's liking or priority.

dilemma of choice

Draws attention to the problem when one has to choose between options.

trouble of choice

Highlights the problematic aspects of selecting from options.

issues of choice

Highlights the problems and obstacles when making a decision.

predicament of choice

Highlights the difficult situation arising from having to choose.

FAQs

How can I use "difficulty of choice" in a sentence?

You can use "difficulty of choice" to describe situations where making a decision is challenging due to various factors such as numerous options or conflicting values. For instance, "The consumer faced the "difficulty of choice" when selecting from a wide range of smartphones".

What's a simpler way to express "difficulty of choice"?

Alternatives include "trouble deciding", "challenge of selection", or "complexity of decision". Each option conveys a similar meaning but may be more suitable depending on the specific context. For example, instead of "the "difficulty of choice"", you could say "the trouble deciding".

Is "difficulty of choice" the same as "analysis paralysis"?

"Difficulty of choice" is a broader term referring to any situation where making a decision is challenging. "Analysis paralysis" is a specific state where overthinking leads to indecision. Therefore, while analysis paralysis contributes to the "difficulty of choice", the latter encompasses more scenarios.

How does an abundance of options affect the "difficulty of choice"?

An abundance of options often increases the "difficulty of choice" because it requires more time and effort to evaluate each alternative. This can lead to cognitive overload and increased stress, making the decision-making process more complex.