Focusing on Desirability: The Effect of Decision Interruption and Suspension on Preferences

This research examines the phenomenon of interruptions and suspensions in decision making. It is proposed that information processing may change from a bottom‐up, data‐driven to a top‐down, goal‐directed mode after an interruption, thereby affecting preferences. In particular, in decisions involving desirability and feasibility conflicts, because desirability is a superordinate goal to feasibility, four studies found that when a decision is interrupted and later resumed, people become more likely to favor highly desirable but less feasible consumption, such as a high‐risk, high‐reward option or a high‐quality, high‐price option. A reduced focus on feasibility is found to underlie this effect.