Go Fourth in a Five-Item Horizontal Choice

Research findings from University of Hong Kong and National University of Singapore indicate that when a customer appears to be in an upbeat mood, they’re more likely to select either the first or the last alternative you propose verbally than to select a middle alternative.
     However, when you show the shopper choices arranged horizontally, such as you might do in online selling or in-store shelf arrangement, shoppers will be drawn to an option appearing neither first nor last. If there are five choices, the strongest draw will be to the choice at position four, according to researchers at University of Navarra in Spain, London School of Economics and Political Science, and the U.K.’s King’s Fund.
     Two distinctive features of the research:

• The choices made by the consumers were real-world preferences for a hospital at which the consumer would receive non-urgent care. This was a decision with consequences rather than a trivial selection in an unrealistic situation. 
• The eye movements of the study participants were tracked. This allows for insights about the way in which the selection was made. 

     The alternative at position four had a strong draw even when performance assessments for the five hospitals were shown in order from highest to lowest official rating, so the alternative at position four did not have the highest rating. The hospital with the highest ranking was very likely to be selected, but the hospital at position four was much more likely to be selected than you’d predict based on its rating.
     Why do consumers do this?

• People will continue a search beyond the best alternative. Other research has shown that when consumers are presented alternatives in which the second is better than the first, they want to keep looking for an even better alternative. The Navarra/London/King’s Fund researchers spotted study participants who spent the most time looking at the highest-ranked hospital, but couldn’t seem to prevent themselves from continuing to look beyond the top-rated choice and then ended up picking it. 
• In a horizontal sequence, the middle is a more comfortable visual and cognitive resting place than either the first or the last position. So why isn’t the strongest draw to position three, exactly in the middle? Other research has found that items displayed toward the right of the visual field will—all else being equal—be estimated by shoppers to possess higher quality. Voilà, position four in a five-item arrangement. 

Click below for more: 
Guide Choice by Sequence of Presentation 
Humor Your Customers 
Assume Higher Anchors for Right-Side Items