Abstract:
This paper is the study of the phenomenology of choice and its effects on stress, satisfaction levels in
decision making and prevalence of depression. It investigates the phenomenon of how more choices influence
decision making and explores the concept of whether having more choice makes the decision maker feel better or
worse and the reasons for these. This paper draws on social cognition theory in order to shed light on the
expectations ofsociety in different aspects ofour decision-making lives. Particular attention is paid to the position
of college students faced with a plethora ofchoice in various aspects of their lives including courses, work, lifestyle
and career direction. This is an important insight as this age group also has a high prevalence of depression, and
the authors investigate possible links between these factors. Directions for further research in this emerging area
are outlined.
