Limited attention span affecting choices.

Decoding Decision-Making: How 'Attention Span' Changes What We Choose

Jordan Keane in Mind & Education August 2025 • 4 min read.

"Unlock the secrets of limited attention and its surprising impact on your everyday choices, revealing hidden preferences and smarter decision strategies."

We make countless choices every day, from the mundane (coffee or tea?) to the significant (new job or stay put?). Traditional economics assumes we carefully weigh all options, but reality is far messier. We're bombarded with information, our attention is limited, and that affects what we ultimately choose.

Enter the world of 'limited attention' models. These try to capture how we actually make decisions when we can't possibly consider everything. Many of these models rely on seeing how our choices change when the available options ('menus') change. But what if the menu stays the same? Can we still figure out our real preferences?

That's where the 'Random Attention Span' (RAS) model comes in. This new model identifies hidden preferences by looking at how long we spend making a decision, all without needing to change the available options. It opens up exciting possibilities for understanding our choices in the real world, especially online where our browsing time is tracked.

How Does the 'Random Attention Span' Model Work?

Limited attention span affecting choices.

The RAS model offers a novel way to understand decision-making under limited attention. It works on a few key ideas:

The model identifies preferences using time variation without any need for menu variation. It identifies preferences by examining the time it takes people to make choices, assuming that individuals' attention spans influence their decisions. The RAS model assumes that people don't always see all available options.

Limited Attention: People don't always see all available options.
Time Matters: How long we spend deciding reveals what we're considering.
Stable Preferences: Our underlying likes and dislikes don't change in the moment.
'Time Monotonicity': The longer we spend deciding, the more options we're likely to have considered (we don't forget what we've already seen).

Unlike other models, the RAS model doesn't need the menu of options to change to understand preferences. It figures out what we like by how our choices change over time. The RAS model also acknowledges that what we consider might be linked to what we prefer. If you already like a particular brand, you might be more likely to notice it first.

Why This Matters: Making Smarter Choices

The RAS model gives us a new lens to understand why we choose what we do. By understanding how our attention span affects our decisions, we can start to make smarter choices. This could mean designing online environments that help us see all our options, or simply being more aware of how our own attention wanders when faced with a decision. Whether you're a marketer trying to understand consumer behavior or an individual trying to make better choices, the RAS model offers valuable insights into the hidden world of decision-making.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2405.11578,

Title: Random Attention Span

Subject: econ.th

Authors: Dazhuo Wei

Published: 19-05-2024

Everything You Need To Know

What is the central idea behind the 'Random Attention Span' (RAS) model?

The 'Random Attention Span' (RAS) model proposes that our choices are significantly influenced by our limited attention spans. It suggests that by observing how long we take to make a decision, we can deduce our underlying preferences, even without changing the available choices ('menus'). The model leverages the fact that individuals' attention spans vary, impacting which options they consider and ultimately choose. This allows the RAS model to identify hidden preferences.

How does the 'Random Attention Span' (RAS) model differ from traditional economic models?

Traditional economic models assume we carefully evaluate all options, a scenario that rarely reflects reality. The RAS model diverges by accounting for 'limited attention.' It acknowledges that we're bombarded with information and can't consider everything. Unlike traditional models, the RAS model focuses on how changes in decision time, rather than changes in the options themselves, reveal our preferences. The RAS model provides a more realistic and nuanced understanding of choices made under the constraints of finite attention.

What are the key assumptions that the 'Random Attention Span' (RAS) model makes?

The 'Random Attention Span' (RAS) model rests on four key assumptions: * **Limited Attention**: People don't always see all available options. * **Time Matters**: How long we spend deciding reveals what we're considering. * **Stable Preferences**: Our underlying likes and dislikes don't change in the moment. * **'Time Monotonicity'**: The longer we spend deciding, the more options we're likely to have considered (we don't forget what we've already seen).

Can you explain 'Time Monotonicity' and its role in the 'Random Attention Span' (RAS) model?

'Time Monotonicity' is a crucial assumption in the 'Random Attention Span' (RAS) model. It essentially states that the longer an individual spends deliberating, the more options they've likely considered. This is because, with more time, the decision-maker can explore a wider range of possibilities and weigh them against each other. It assumes that as people spend more time making a choice, they are not forgetting what they have already seen, but rather, they are continuing to gather more information, and potentially re-evaluating their options, leading them to a final choice.

How can understanding the 'Random Attention Span' (RAS) model help improve decision-making?

Understanding the 'Random Attention Span' (RAS) model can empower individuals to make smarter choices in several ways. By recognizing that our attention is limited and that time spent on a decision can reveal preferences, we can become more aware of our own cognitive processes. This awareness allows us to make choices that truly reflect our preferences. The RAS model offers insights that can improve the design of online environments, helping us see all available options before making a choice. Whether it is for an individual or a marketer this model can provide a greater comprehension of the underlying factors that influence decision-making.