Personality

Are You a Maximizer or a Satisficer?

Why some people agonise over a restaurant menu and others just order. Mixes rating items with real scenarios.

14 questions · about 6 minutes

14 items — 9 agreement statements and 5 scenario choices — inspired by maximizing and regret research. Original wording, educational use only.

1. Before choosing, I want to have seen all the realistic options.

2. Even when something is fine, I wonder if there is a better version.

3. I read a lot of reviews before small purchases.

4. Choosing what to watch can take longer than I would like to admit.

5. After deciding, I keep checking what the alternatives would have been.

6. I replay past decisions and imagine how the other path would have gone.

7. Finding out I could have paid less genuinely bothers me.

8. Once I decide something, it stops occupying my mind.

9. Good enough is usually good enough for me.

10. You need a new pair of everyday shoes. What actually happens?

11. You order at a restaurant, then see a better dish arrive at the next table.

12. You accept a job offer. Two days later a recruiter mentions a similar role elsewhere.

13. How do you usually feel once a decision is finally made?

14. Someone else offers to choose for the group. Your reaction?

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These tests are for education and self-reflection. They are not diagnostic instruments and should not be used to diagnose or treat a mental-health condition. Anyone feeling unsafe, overwhelmed, or at risk should contact local emergency services or a qualified mental-health professional.