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Level-graded English lessons with reading, listening, activities, and discussion.

Lesson Info

Type
Article
Level
4 / B2
Published
Title
The Paradox of Choice
Webpage
https://eslnewsstories.com/articles/2026-09-25-the-paradox-of-choice/

Lesson Content

Warm-up, Vocab List, Reading and Audio

Understanding: Main Idea, True or False, Multiple Choice

Language: Words That Go Together, New Sentences

Use It: Discussion Builder, Discussion Questions

Answers

Do you think having more choices makes shopping easier or harder?

a) Usually easier because there is more to choose from

b) Usually harder because it takes more time

c) It depends on what I am buying

A supermarket shelf filled with many different boxes and bags of cereal or granola.
So many choices.

Vocab List

behavioral scientist (n. phrase) — a scientist who studies why people behave in certain ways
maximize (v.) — to make something as great or as good as possible
anxiety (n.) — a worried feeling, often about what might happen
criteria (n.) — standards used to judge or choose something
emeritus (adj.) — used for a retired professor who keeps an honorary title
perfection (n.) — the state of being as good as possible, with no faults
discourage (v.) — to make someone less willing or likely to do something
paradox (n.) — a situation that seems to contain two opposite or surprising facts that are both true
investment (n.) — money put into a business or plan in order to make more money
Reading

Modern life offers an almost endless range of products, plans, and entertainment. Yet behavioral scientists say that having more options does not always make people feel freer. In many situations, it can lead to anxiety, delayed decisions, and disappointment after a choice is made.

Barry Schwartz, an emeritus psychology professor at Swarthmore College and author of The Paradox of Choice, says research has repeatedly found that too many options can discourage action. He points to studies of retirement plans, where employees were less likely to sign up when their companies offered more investment choices. In another well-known study, grocery shoppers bought more jam when they could choose from six flavors than when they faced 24.

The problem is not simply that comparing options takes time. Schwartz says a large number of possibilities can make people fear choosing badly. Even after selecting a good option, they may keep wondering whether another one would have been better. This can be especially difficult for “maximizers” — people who feel that only the best choice is acceptable.

Daniel Willingham, a psychology professor at the University of Virginia, says the brain often prefers familiar routines because serious problem-solving requires effort. The researchers suggest reducing unnecessary decisions: set clear criteria, accept an option that is good enough, or ask a trusted person for advice. Choice can be valuable, they say, but it may be easier to feel satisfied when people do not treat every decision as a search for perfection.

The Paradox of Choice

Level 4 Article Source: apnews.com
Warm-up → or → Check Understanding → Language → Use It

A supermarket shelf filled with many different boxes and bags of cereal or granola.
So many choices.

Modern life offers an almost endless range of products, plans, and entertainment. Yet behavioral scientists say that having more options does not always make people feel freer. In many situations, it can lead to anxiety, delayed decisions, and disappointment after a choice is made.

Barry Schwartz, an emeritus psychology professor at Swarthmore College and author of The Paradox of Choice, says research has repeatedly found that too many options can discourage action. He points to studies of retirement plans, where employees were less likely to sign up when their companies offered more investment choices. In another well-known study, grocery shoppers bought more jam when they could choose from six flavors than when they faced 24.

The problem is not simply that comparing options takes time. Schwartz says a large number of possibilities can make people fear choosing badly. Even after selecting a good option, they may keep wondering whether another one would have been better. This can be especially difficult for “maximizers” — people who feel that only the best choice is acceptable.

Daniel Willingham, a psychology professor at the University of Virginia, says the brain often prefers familiar routines because serious problem-solving requires effort. The researchers suggest reducing unnecessary decisions: set clear criteria, accept an option that is good enough, or ask a trusted person for advice. Choice can be valuable, they say, but it may be easier to feel satisfied when people do not treat every decision as a search for perfection.

Speaker: American Male  Duration: 1:48  YouTube

Listen Closely

Listen and Fill Gaps

Listen to the audio on eslnewsstories.com and complete the gaps below:

Modern life offers an almost (1) range of products, plans, and entertainment. Yet behavioral scientists say that having more options does not always make people feel freer. In many situations, it can lead to (2) , delayed decisions, and disappointment after a choice is made.

Barry Schwartz, an emeritus psychology professor at Swarthmore College and author of The Paradox of Choice, says research has repeatedly found that too many options can discourage (3) . He points to studies of retirement plans, where employees were less likely to sign up when their companies offered more investment choices. In another well-known study, grocery shoppers bought more jam when they could choose from six flavors than when they faced 24.

The problem is not simply that comparing options takes time. Schwartz says a large number of possibilities can make people fear choosing (4) . Even after selecting a good option, they may keep (5) whether another one would have been better. This can be especially difficult for “maximizers” — people who feel that only the best choice is acceptable.

Daniel Willingham, a psychology professor at the University of Virginia, says the brain often prefers familiar routines because serious problem-solving requires (6) . The researchers suggest reducing unnecessary decisions: set clear criteria, accept an option that is good enough, or ask a trusted person for advice. Choice can be valuable, they say, but it may be easier to feel satisfied when people do not treat every decision as a search for perfection.

Listen and Fill Gaps

Loading listening activity...

Discussion Builder

  1. Q: Do you usually enjoy having a lot of choice, or do you prefer a smaller selection? Why?

    A:

  2. Q: If you could reduce one type of choice in your daily life, what would it be, and what would you do with the extra time or energy?

    A:
Use It

Discussion Builder

Choose the best phrase for each gap:

  1. Q: Do you usually enjoy having a lot of choice, or do you prefer a smaller selection? Why?

    A: Having many options can be useful, too much choice can make decisions more difficult.

    although / because / unless

    Having many options can be useful, although too much choice can make decisions more difficult.

  2. Q: If you could reduce one type of choice in your daily life, what would it be, and what would you do with the extra time or energy?

    A: I would reduce the number of streaming choices it's too hard to find something to watch.

    because / although / unless

    I would reduce the number of streaming choices because it's too hard to find something to watch.

Discussion Questions
  1. Do you usually enjoy having a lot of choice, or do you prefer a smaller selection? Why?
  2. The article mentions jam flavors. What everyday product becomes harder to buy when there are too many versions of it?
  3. Do you think online shopping makes choice easier, harder, or both? Give an example.
  4. What criteria do you use when choosing a restaurant, a phone, or a place to travel?
  5. Do you know someone who seems to search for perfection before making a decision? How does this affect them?
  6. When do you ask a trusted person for advice before making a choice? When do you prefer to decide alone?
  7. The word “paradox” describes two surprising ideas that are both true. What other paradoxes can you find in modern life, such as in technology, work, or social media?
  8. If you could reduce one type of choice in your daily life, what would it be, and what would you do with the extra time or energy?

Discussion Questions

  1. Do you usually enjoy having a lot of choice, or do you prefer a smaller selection? Why?
  2. The article mentions jam flavors. What everyday product becomes harder to buy when there are too many versions of it?
  3. Do you think online shopping makes choice easier, harder, or both? Give an example.
  4. What criteria do you use when choosing a restaurant, a phone, or a place to travel?
  5. Do you know someone who seems to search for perfection before making a decision? How does this affect them?
  6. When do you ask a trusted person for advice before making a choice? When do you prefer to decide alone?
  7. The word “paradox” describes two surprising ideas that are both true. What other paradoxes can you find in modern life, such as in technology, work, or social media?
  8. If you could reduce one type of choice in your daily life, what would it be, and what would you do with the extra time or energy?

Answers The Paradox of Choice / Level 4

Listening: (1) endless, (2) anxiety, (3) action, (4) badly, (5) wondering, (6) effort

Main Idea: Too many choices can make decisions harder, so simple limits can help people feel satisfied.

True or False:

  1. True. The story says that a large number of choices can lead to anxiety, delayed decisions, and disappointment.
  2. False. Shoppers bought more jam when there were six flavors than when there were 24 choices.
  3. True. They recommend reducing unnecessary decisions and not treating every choice as a search for perfection.

Multiple Choice: b, a, c, a

Vocabulary:

  1. make: a choice
  2. delay: a decision
  3. familiar: routines
  1. set clear: criteria
  2. search for: perfection

New Sentences: 1. anxiety; 2. discourage; 3. investment; 4. criteria; 5. paradox; 6. perfection

Discussion Builder:

Hints: 1) Expressing concession. 2) Giving a reason.

  1. although
  2. because

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