The Paradox of School Choice? Experimental Evidence on Choice Architecture, Anxiety, and Satisfaction

School choice policy is often touted as offering more choices to families whose school options are limited by traditional zoning. However, too many options or too much information may create a “paradox of choice,” resulting in anxiety and dissatisfaction. Through a mixed-methods study, including a survey experiment and interviews, we test whether reducing the number of school options or simplifying the information about them reduces parent stress and increases satisfaction. We find that reducing options and simplifying information does not result in better psychological outcomes and that the actual school choice process is not particularly stressful. More advantaged parents tend to experience greater stress than less advantaged parents. Through qualitative analysis, we uncover possible explanations for these counterintuitive findings.