The findings from thisstudy show that an extensive array of options can at first seemhighly appealing to consumers, yet can reduce their subsequentmotivation to purchase the product. Even though consumers pre-sumably shop at this particular store in part because of the largenumber of selections available, having "too much" choice seemsnonetheless to have hampered their later motivation to buy.

Cognitive evaluation theory (CET; Deci, 1975), SDT’s first mini-theory, wasbuilt from research on the dynamic interplay between external events(e.g., rewards, choice) and people’s task interest or enjoyment (i.e., intrinsicmotivation).

In this respect, Iyengar and Lepper did not examine the effect ofchoice on autonomy per se, but rather examined the effect of one’s felteffectiveness to make the decision. Indeed, it is interesting to note thatparticipants who were given extensive options reported the decision-makingprocess to be more difficult and frustrating, compared to those who hadlimited options, and also expressed more regrets about their chosen option