Brain x Psychology "Business Hacks" [Season 1-3] Why do we reach for the "middle plan"!? The trap of choice created by comparison

[Psychological effect in this episode] Decoy effect
[Key point of the effect] A psychological effect where an unfavorable decoy becomes a comparison standard, making the middle plan appear more advantageous.

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📢 Announcement | I will be entering the Creative Awards 2026

Jiro:
Finally...! We have decided to enter our story into the #CreativeAwards2026
#WorkNovelCategory ...!
I'm so nervous that I feel like I'm going to say "Excuse me..." to the application button...!

Hana:
You don't need to greet the button (laughs).
But, I want more people to watch over Jiro-kun as he stumbles in his sales job and grows little by little, so for a limited time,
I will release the "up to Episode 8 of Season 1" that was planned for paid release for free!

Seiji:
This story is about Jiro, who, triggered by the confusion and failures he feels in his sales job,
gradually deciphers "the reason why people's hearts move."

Dr. Narita:
In Jiro's failures and realizations, "I might have this too" there must surely be moments where you think that.

Jiro:
From here, our story begins.
I'll probably stumble many times, and Hana-san will retort to me many times...!

But, every time that happens, I want to learn a little bit and grow.
If "interesting," "I'm curious about what happens next," or "I want to support you" you think that,
supporting us with likes, comments, and shares would be a huge encouragement...!

Please watch over our story together!

【The goal of this note article】

"When three things are lined up, why does the middle one look just right?"
This time, we will decipher such a "common occurrence" together from Jiro's failure.

Following the flow of looking at "the initial standard" in Season 1-1, and "how numbers look" in Season 1-2,
this time is an episode where we look at how "the way of comparing itself" changes the ease of choosing without you noticing.

【Introduction】 Jiro, drawn to the middle

Lunch break.
Jiro brought coffee with a slightly dejected face.

Hana:
"What's wrong?"
"You have the face of someone who 'thought they chose properly' today, though."

Jiro:
"Yes."
"Very much so..."

Seiji:
"Did something happen?"

Jiro:
"Yesterday, I took my suit to the dry cleaners..."
"They had standard for 1,500 yen, express for 2,500 yen, and special for 4,500 yen lined up..."

Hana:
"Uh-huh."

Jiro:
"I was a bit worried about the cheap one, and I thought the expensive one was too much..."
"Before I knew it, I chose the express one..."

Hana:
I know, right!
The middle option just feels safe and easy to choose.

Jiro:
Yes...
But when I got home and checked my schedule, I wouldn't need to wear it for three months...

Hana:
No, that means you didn't need the express service at all!

Jiro:
Yes...
Even though it was finished in a hurry, it just sat in my closet for three months...

Hana:
At that point, even the local train would have made it in time (laughs).

Jiro:
That's true...
At the time, I felt like it was the 'perfect choice'...
But when I got home and looked at my schedule, I thought, 'What exactly was so perfect about that?'...

Hana:
It happens, suddenly coming back to your senses later (laughs).
I bet there are a lot of people who can relate to this.

Seiji:
Yeah, that's...
It might have been the decoy effect at work.

Jiro:
The decoy effect...?
So that 4,500 yen option was just there to make the express service look like the right choice...?

Hana:
When you put it that way, that's a pretty sad role (laughs).

[Term Explanation] Why did that happen?

Seiji:
The decoy effect is when adding a slightly extreme option makes the middle plan suddenly look 'just right'.

Jiro:
An extreme option...

Seiji:
Exactly.
When people choose, even if they think they are only looking at the content itself, their perception actually changes significantly based on 'what they are comparing it to'.

Hana:
I see...!
It wasn't that I really needed the express service from the start, but by being sandwiched between the standard and the special, it suddenly looked like the 'safe middle'.

Seiji:
Yes, exactly that.

Jiro:
So I...
Instead of carefully choosing the contents of the express service...
I was just thinking, 'This is the most comfortable place to be' among the options...

Hana:
That way of putting it is very 'today' (laughs).
But you're pretty close.

Seiji:
The standard feels 'a bit risky,' and the special feels like 'too much.'
When it looks like that, the express service in between feels 'just right'.

Jiro:
I see...!
It's not just the content, but how it's 'sandwiched' that changes how it's perceived...!

Seiji:
"Exactly."
"People don't just judge based on whether they need something, but also on which one looks just right among the options."

Hana:
"So that's why the middle one feels safe."

Jiro:
"I feel like..."
"I thought I was choosing, but I was more influenced by the comparison than I realized..."

[Sales Application] How does this work in sales?

Little by little, the conversation about the dry cleaner is connecting to work in Jiro's mind.

Hana:
"Does that happen in sales, too?"

Seiji:
"Yeah, it happens quite a lot."
"When you present three options, they are more likely to be chosen based on how 'just right' they look."

Hana:
"So it's not just the content, but how you compare them that changes the impression."

Seiji:
"Exactly."
"For example, if you have an option that's too expensive and one that's a bit lacking, the plan in between starts to look 'just right'."

Jiro:
"I see...!"
"Then I'll make the middle plan shine a little!"

Hana:
"Make it shine!? (Laughs)"

Seiji:
"Your thinking is close, but the goal isn't to make it stand out."
"It's important to create a state where it 'naturally looks just right' when compared."

Jiro:
"Oh..."
"I was trying to force it with staging again..."

Hana:
"Glad I stopped you before you started setting up the lights (laughs)."

Seiji:
"So, there's only one thing to keep in mind in practice."
"How it looks in this lineup."

Jiro:
"Instead of 'which one to recommend,' it's 'how to line them up'..."

Seiji:
"Yeah."
"Don't force it on the other person, but make the differences appear naturally as a result of comparison."
"If you can do that, it becomes easier for the other person to choose."

Jiro:
"I see...!"
"So it's not about 'selling the middle one,' but 'creating a comparison that makes it look just right'...!"

Seiji:
"Yeah, that's a great understanding."

Hana:
"You managed to come back from being the 'lighting technician' today (laughs)."

Jiro:
“Thank you...!”
“If I were on my own, I would have almost ended up being the person who puts the spotlight only on the middle one...!”

[Case Study] What it looks like in the field

From here on, we will look at how the decoy effect works in actual situations, changing the scenery little by little.
The point this time is that the middle option isn't chosen because it's good from the start, but because it becomes easier to reach for when it 'looks just right' when compared side-by-side.

[Case 1] When the middle antibacterial coating suddenly looked just right during air conditioner cleaning

Seiji:
“Well then, let's start by looking at a failure story different from the introduction.”

Jiro:
“Yes...”
“Actually, I've had something similar happen before...”

Hana:
“Wait, there's more? (laughs)”

Jiro:
“I once asked for air conditioner cleaning before moving...”
“There was a standard course, an antibacterial coating course, and a premium course that even included the outdoor unit...”

Seiji:
“Yeah.”

Jiro:
“The standard one looked a bit too simple...”
“And I thought I didn't really need to go that far for the premium one...”
“Before I knew it, I had chosen the middle antibacterial coating course...”

Hana:
“Wow, that's exactly today's topic.”

Jiro:
“Yes...”
“And I realized it after I signed up...”
“I was planning to move a week later...”

Hana:
“What?”

Jiro:
“So that antibacterial coating...”
“It was mostly for the next person moving in...”

Hana:
“Your kindness is misdirected (laughs).”

Seiji:
“But that's very easy to understand.”
“I think at that time, Jiro was pulled toward the 'position that seemed safest to choose' among the three, rather than whether he really needed the antibacterial coating.”

Jiro:
“I see...!”
“I thought I was looking at the performance...”
“But I was mostly looking at 'the middle one seems fine'...”

Hana:
“Yeah, I think that was definitely the case.”

[Case 2] When the preferred plan becomes easier to choose the moment three are lined up in a sales proposal

Let's change the mood a little and return to the workplace.

Hana:
This is really important for sales proposals, isn't it?

Seiji:
Yeah, it's very important.
For example, let's say there are three options: a premium plan, a simple plan, and a target plan.

Jiro:
Yes...!

Seiji:
The premium one is very comprehensive but expensive.
The simple one is cheap but a bit lacking.
In that case, the target plan starts to look like it 'has what you need, but isn't too heavy'.

Hana:
That's true.
When you line them up, the middle one suddenly starts to look like the safe choice.

Jiro:
So, instead of pushing it by saying 'This is the one!', it's important to make it look like 'This is the most natural choice' as a result of comparing them...!

Seiji:
Yes, exactly.
The decoy effect isn't about 'forcing the middle one to sell'.
It's about creating a lineup where, when the other person compares the three, it's naturally clear 'what is missing, what is too heavy, and what is just right'.

Jiro:
I see...!
So when making a proposal, you have to think not just about 'what to recommend,' but also about 'how to arrange them so the differences are clear'...!

Hana:
A lot of people probably relate to this at work.

[Case 3] When you want to start with the special course for a popular farm's subscription service

Here is a food-related case that softens the mood a bit.

Hana:
I might have a story about this.

Jiro:
Oh, is it your story, Hana?

Hana:
Yeah.
I was interested in a subscription service from a popular farm a while ago.
The simple course was just milk, the special course was milk and milk bread, and the extra-large course had milk, milk bread, yogurt, cheese, and butter.

Seiji:
Yeah, that's a good lineup.

Hana:
At first, I chose the special course in the middle.
I thought the simple one was a bit lonely, and the extra-large one felt like too much of a commitment yet.

Jiro:
I get that...!
The name 'special' already makes it feel like 'this is a proper choice'...!

Hana:
Exactly (laughs).
And once I started, it was great, so I'm thinking of switching to the extra-large one next month.

Seiji:
This is also interesting.
The middle plan isn't functioning as 'the best thing in the end,' but as an entry point that is 'easy to start with'.

Hana:
Ah, I see.
So the middle option is powerful not just because of 'whether it's the best value,' but because of 'whether it feels like a natural first step'.

Jiro:
“I see...!”
“Before jumping straight to the top, the middle became the ‘easy place to start’...!”

Seiji:
“Yeah.”
“That’s also one way the decoy effect manifests.”
“Among the options, it becomes easier to see it as ‘a natural place to start.’”

[Case 4] When the middle treatment course at a hair salon suddenly looks like the right choice

Hana:
“This happens at hair salons too, doesn’t it?”
“When they have ‘cut only,’ ‘cut + treatment,’ and ‘cut + treatment + head spa’ lined up, the middle one suddenly looks like the proper choice.”

Seiji:
“It does.”
“The bottom one looks a bit too simple, and you might feel the top one is a bit much for today.”
“When that happens, the middle one easily looks like ‘just the right amount of care.’”

Hana:
“It really does.”
“When you think, ‘It’s not a special day, but I don’t want to do nothing...’ the middle one looks very natural.”

Jiro:
“Ah...!”

Hana:
“Huh? What is it, Jiro?”

Seiji:
“...Don’t tell me?”

Hana and Seiji exchange a quiet look.

Jiro:
“I’ve done this too...”

Hana:
“There it is (laughs).”

Jiro:
“Back at the hair salon...”
“I once chose the middle treatment course...”
“And after I got home, I talked to my reflection in the bath mirror, asking, ‘Was my hair really that damaged...?’”

Hana:
“The kind of thing you quietly reflect on later (laughs).”

Seiji:
“But that’s also very natural.”
“At that moment, I think the feeling of ‘it looks like the proper choice among these’ came before ‘do I really need it?’”
“So, if you separate ‘did I choose it because I needed it’ from ‘did I choose it because it looked like the proper choice,’ the decoy effect becomes much easier to spot.”

Jiro:
“I see...!”
“I thought I was choosing the content, but I was mostly choosing the ‘position that looks like the proper choice’...!”

Hana:
“Yeah, that ‘position that looks like the proper choice’ is quite powerful.”

Seiji:
“The decoy effect often appears in this kind of ‘sense of security in the middle.’”
“So, it’s better to pause and think separately about whether the reason you chose it was ‘because I needed it’ or ‘because it looked just right in the lineup.’”

Jiro:
“Yes...!”
“From now on, I’ll ask the stylist, ‘Do I really need that much today?’ and take a moment to stop and think...!”

Hana:
“Ask yourself before you ask the stylist (laughs).”

[Case 5] When the breakfast-included plan looks the most natural for hotel bookings

Hana:
“Cleaning, air conditioning, hair salon, and now this...”
“Jiro, you’re getting way too swayed by the middle plan (laughs).”

Jiro:
“Yeah...”
“I was definitely more drawn to it than I thought...”

Seiji:
“But in similar cases, hotel bookings when traveling are the same, right?”

Hana:
“Oh, that happens a lot with hotel bookings too.”
“When you have room-only, breakfast-included, and breakfast plus lounge access plus late checkout lined up, the middle one suddenly looks so natural.”

Seiji:
“It does.”
“The room-only option looks a bit too plain, and the top one feels a bit too luxurious.”
“So, the breakfast-included one easily looks like the ‘just right’ travel experience.”

Hana:
“Plus, depending on the hotel, the breakfast is amazing, making the middle plan an overwhelming value!”
“It’s perfect for you, Jiro, since you love to eat!”

At that moment, Jiro looked off into the distance.
His eyes were slightly teary, and his shoulders were trembling faintly.

Seiji:
“...What’s wrong? Jiro...?”

Jiro:
“The other day...”
“I stayed at a luxury hotel that has a Michelin-starred restaurant...”
“And I chose the middle plan with breakfast...”

Hana:
“Oh, that sounds great!”

Jiro:
“Yeah...”
“And the freshly baked bread at the breakfast venue is really famous...”
“I was really looking forward to their most popular croissant...”

Seiji:
“Yeah...”

Jiro:
“For some reason, I overslept that day...”
“I ended up just sensing the presence of the bread and that was it...”

Hana:
“What a waste!!!! (laughs)”

Jiro:
“Exactly...”
“Because of the regret and frustration, the hotel breakfast has been appearing in my dreams for a while now...”

Hana:
“That much!?”
“That’s not just normal regret, that’s a ‘breakfast ghost’ (laughs).”

Jiro:
“Every time, the most popular croissant gets really close...”
“But I always wake up right before I can eat it...”

Hana:
“Your lingering attachment is way too specific (laughs).”

Seiji:
“That just shows how much of an impression it left on you.”
“But the important thing here is that the middle plan looking attractive and whether you can actually receive that value are two different things.”

Jiro:
“I see...!”
“I should think about ‘what looks just right’ and ‘whether I can actually use it all’ as separate things...!”

Hana:
“Yeah.”
“It does look natural within the lineup.”
“But in the end, you should look at whether you can actually make good use of it.”

Jiro:
“Yes...!”
“From now on, when I book a hotel, I won't just look at how luxurious the breakfast is...”
“I'll also properly consider whether I can actually wake up in time...!”

Hana:
“That part is actually quite important (laughs).”

[Theoretical Reinforcement] Dr. Narita's Reinforcement

Dr. Narita, who had been listening to the conversation so far, nodded slowly.

Dr. Narita:
“People sometimes choose based on ‘which one feels most comfortable among these’ rather than ‘which one is better.’”

Hana:
“That’s true...”
“It wasn't so much that I thought ‘the middle is best,’ but rather that it looked that way within the lineup.”

Dr. Narita:
“Indeed. What’s important about the decoy effect is not to end it at ‘many people like the middle.’”

Hana:
“So there’s more to it than that.”

Dr. Narita:
“Indeed. When people choose, they are more likely to pick something that looks relatively easy to choose among the options presented, rather than evaluating a single proposal in absolute terms.”
“In other words, the appeal changes not just based on ‘what is there,’ but on ‘how it is arranged.’”

Jiro:
“So, it wasn't that I needed the express train itself...”
“It just looked the most comfortable within the lineup...”

Dr. Narita:
“That is correct.”
“Moreover, even when people think they are calmly looking at ‘whether they really need it,’ they tend to feel reassured by what looks ‘just right’ amidst comparisons of ‘too expensive’ or ‘too cheap.’”

Hana:
“So ‘just right’ isn't determined solely by the content itself.”

Dr. Narita:
“Indeed. Therefore, in sales, you must not use this as a ‘technique to force the sale of the middle option.’”

Seiji:
“It’s not to push it on them, but to make it easier to compare, right?”

Dr. Narita:
“That is correct. When the foundation for comparison is set, people are less likely to end up choosing ‘just because.’”
“What is missing? What is excessive? What is just right for me? It becomes easier to move toward those kinds of judgments.”

Hana:
“So it’s a story about ‘being swayed by comparisons,’ but also about ‘organizing comparisons.’”

Dr. Narita:
“Indeed. The decoy effect is not something that robs the other party of their judgment.”
“It is a guide line that organizes the meaning of the arrangement so that the other party can make a convinced choice.”

Jiro:
“I see...!”
“It wasn't a story about ‘making someone choose the middle’ as I thought, but rather a story about ‘what looks just right through comparison’...!”

[Summary] Today's Takeaway

Let's go over today's discussion one last time together.

Hana:
"This feels like the third episode in a flow that's been continuing since Season 1-1 and 1-2."
"We started with the initial standard, then how numbers are perceived, and now it's about 'how things look when lined up.'"

Seiji:
"Yeah, that's right."
"This time, we're looking at how impressions are influenced not just by 'which one is good,' but by 'how things are arranged to make one look just right.'"

Jiro:
"I see...!"
"So today wasn't just about 'the middle is good'..."
"It was about how 'the form of comparison changes what looks just right'...!"

Seiji:
"Yeah, that's a great way to understand it."

Hana:
"Even with the same proposal, the impression changes quite a bit depending on how it's arranged."
"That's why I think it's important for the seller not just to 'push the middle,' but to create an arrangement where the differences are naturally visible."

Jiro:
"Yes...!"
"I was only thinking about 'which one to recommend,' but..."
"If I think about 'how it looks depending on how it's arranged,' the proposal changes quite a bit...!"

Seiji:
"Yeah."
"Just having that arrangement makes it easier for the other person to choose, too."

Hana:
"Jiro-kun, you really became someone who 'shows things through comparison' today."

Jiro:
"Really...!"
"That's great...!"
"I was almost about to become the person who just puts a spotlight on the middle...!"

Hana:
"That's not a proposal anymore, that's just staging (laughs)."

Seiji:
"But you made it back, so it's okay."

Jiro:
"Thank you...!"
"I'd appreciate it if you could bring me back right away if I'm in danger again...!"

Hana:
"Sure, let's keep an eye on you (laughs)."

Jiro:
"That's reassuring...!"
"I feel much more at ease...!"

Hana:
"Do you ever feel like choosing the middle when three things are lined up?"
"Perhaps we choose more based on 'how just right it feels when compared' than we think, rather than just the 'content.'"

Jiro:
"If I see three options lined up next time..."
"I'll take a little look and wonder, 'Why does this one look just right?'...!"

[A one-sentence summary for readers to take home]

When comparison options are included, the middle one suddenly becomes easier to see as "just right."
What's important in sales is not just the content of the proposal, but also organizing "how it looks based on how it's arranged."

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Season 1-4. "How '100 yen a day' is presented... A mechanism to ease the mental burden"

[Decoy Effect]

A psychological effect where breaking down payments into a daily cost makes the burden feel smaller than the total amount.