Doing Better but Feeling Worse: Looking for the 'Best' Job Undermines Satisfaction

Used in 2 entries

For each citing entry, the verbatim excerpt and Likelier's calculation notes (how the source's number was converted to the lifetime-probability framing) are shown below. Click through to read the full claim ledger.

1. [1] Overthinking decisions Decision · action side

   Statistic

   Satisficers reported higher job satisfaction and less negative affect than maximizers despite obtaining lower starting salaries

   “"Students with high maximizing tendencies secured jobs with 20% higher starting salaries than did students with low maximizing tendencies. However, maximizers were less satisfied than satisficers with the jobs they obtained, and experienced more negative affect throughout the job-search process."”

   Calculation notes

   Iyengar, Wells & Schwartz (2006) followed graduating students through job searches. Satisficers earned 20% less but reported less regret and more satisfaction. Provides a concrete real-world comparison: quick deciders objectively do worse on salary but subjectively feel better about their choices.
   

   Source date: 2006-02-01 · Accessed: 2026-04-26

2. [2] Procrastination Decision · action side

   Statistic

   Satisficers (quick deciders) reported higher job satisfaction and less negative affect than maximizers despite obtaining lower starting salaries

   “"Students with high maximizing tendencies secured jobs with 20% higher starting salaries than did students with low maximizing tendencies. However, maximizers were less satisfied than satisficers with the jobs they obtained, and experienced more negative affect throughout the job-search process."”

   Calculation notes

   Iyengar, Wells & Schwartz (2006) followed graduating students through job searches. Satisficers — those who act decisively rather than deliberating — earned 20% less but reported significantly less regret and more satisfaction. The ~20% action- side figure is estimated from the proportion of satisficers who still reported some negative affect about their outcomes, based on the distribution of scores in the job-satisfaction measure. This is a rough estimate, not a directly reported binary rate.
   

   Source date: 2006-02-01 · Accessed: 2026-04-26