Do We Really Believe That “More Is Better”? Mapping Implicit and Explicit Associations Between Quantity and Quality

Abstract

The dimensions of quantity and quality play a crucial role in shaping our judgments and decisions. How these dimensions are perceived in relation to each other is of extreme importance when it comes to those decisions and judgments. The presumed positive link between them, embodied in the notion that “the more, the better,” is a common thread in decision-making. However, owing to the diverse contexts within which decisions unfold, individuals appear to acquire the understanding that such relationship is not universally applicable, leading to profess the belief that “quantity is not quality.” This dichotomy establishes a dissociation between the implicit and explicit associations formed regarding the connection between quantity and quality. In two studies, we put this hypothesis to the test. Initially, we explore the nature of this association through an Implicit Association Test (Study 1), followed by an investigation into the modulation of this association within an ecological context (Study 2). The results show that, explicitly, participants assert no inherent relationship between quantity and quality. However, at an implicit level, with consequential impacts on behavior, a robust positive association between quantity and quality persists, providing challenging to overturn.