To choose or not

Sheena Iyengar's The Art of Choosing examines how culture influences the choices we make
Did you know that your decision to choose a particular brand of product says a lot about you? Nor did I until I spoke to Sheena Iyengar, author of “The Art Of Choosing”. A professor in Columbia University, Sheena, an expert on choice has put her thoughts and findings in her book to help us master the art of choice.

Sheena conducted her first experiment way back when she was in grad school and what began as curiosity about religion later expanded her research to include the concept of choice and why people make the choices they do. “I found that people who belonged to orthodox faiths were generally much happier than atheists.”

When Sheena chanced upon a study that argued that people's identity was a function of their cultural background she was intrigued, especially since she was Indian-American.

“I was interested in human motivation and culture and somehow it seemed that everything had to do with choice.”

Full report here Hindu