Human decision-making is not limitless. As people make more choices throughout the day, the quality of those decisions tends to decline—a phenomenon called decision fatigue. This concept helps explain behaviors like opting for convenience, default options, or value bundles that seem “easy” rather than optimal.
Decision fatigue refers to the decline in decision-making quality after a person has made many decisions. Over time, mental energy and self-regulation resources become depleted, increasing the likelihood of impulsive choices, decision avoidance, or defaulting to simpler options. 2
This concept is closely linked to ego depletion, which posits that self-control is a finite resource: exerting it repeatedly can drain capacity. In the context of decision fatigue, each choice draws from this limited pool, reducing the ability to choose well later.
Neuroscience is beginning to map decision fatigue to neural activity and metabolic changes.
The brain appears to compute a balance between reward and effort costs, making decisions with less deliberation when fatigue increases. 4
Fatigue also interacts with motivation. When cognitive control feels effortful, the brain may respond by lowering the “threshold” for making decisions or avoiding them altogether. 2
A relevant illustration comes from consumer behavior: when an expensive item is bundled with a cheaper one like a huge suitcase with a smaller one, buyers may unconsciously devalue the expensive item. They focus on the cheaper item as a reference point and let the higher-priced item “disappear” mentally. This reflects decision fatigue: the brain simplifies a complex decision by anchoring on the easier comparison.
Similarly, many marketers avoid offering explicit discounts. Instead, items bundled together seem implicitly on offer, our brains infer value rather than calculate it, reducing mental effort.
Symptoms and consequences of decision fatigue may include:
Impulsive choices or reduced deliberation
Procrastination or decision avoidance
Overreliance on defaults or routines
Lower performance in complex or high-stakes decisions
In experimental and real-life settings, decision fatigue has been noted in contexts such as judicial decisions, consumer purchasing choices, and healthcare decision-making. 2
For example, judges have been observed granting parole more often earlier in the day than later, a pattern sometimes attributed to decision fatigue.
However, some recent meta-analytic work questions whether decision fatigue is a universal or robust phenomenon, suggesting that context, timing, and experimental design may influence observed effects. 5
Given decision fatigue’s influence, several strategies can help:
Reduce decision load — Automate or eliminate trivial choices (e.g. standard uniforms, fixed menus).
Batch decisions — Group similar decisions together rather than spreading them across the day.
Prioritize early — Reserve high-effort decisions for times of higher mental energy (e.g. morning).
Take breaks — Rest and recovery can help replenish cognitive resources.
Use defaults and framing — Set beneficial defaults so users don’t have to choose every detail themselves.
These techniques align with both behavioral design principles and clinical advice for managing mental fatigue.
What is an example of decision fatigue?
A common example is feeling too tired to choose what to eat after a long day of making work-related decisions, so you just order the same meal or skip dinner altogether.
What is the psychology behind decision fatigue?
Decision fatigue happens because the brain’s decision-making area, the prefrontal cortex, gets tired after making too many choices, leading to poor, impulsive, or delayed decisions.
Is decision fatigue the same as mental fatigue?
Not exactly. Decision fatigue is a specific type of mental fatigue linked to decision-making overload. Mental fatigue, however, can result from any prolonged cognitive effort.
What is the Decision Fatigue Scale?
The Decision Fatigue Scale (DFS), developed by Hickman et al., is a self-report questionnaire measuring decision fatigue over the past 24 hours. Using a 4-point Likert scale (0=Strongly Disagree to 3=Strongly Agree) across 9–10 items, higher scores indicate greater fatigue. It assesses cognitive overload, emotional exhaustion, and difficulty making decisions, and has been validated in various populations, including nurses and surrogate decision-makers.
What are common signs of decision fatigue?
Common indicators include difficulty concentrating, procrastination, irritability, and poor decision-making. People may also experience physical tiredness or a desire to avoid making even simple choices.
1. Pignatiello, Grant A., Richard J. Martin, and Ronald L. Hickman Jr. "Decision Fatigue: A Conceptual Analysis." Journal of Health Psychology 25, no. 1 (2020): 123–135. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105318763510
2. Steward, Grace, Vikram Chib, and Vivian Looi. "The Neurobiology of Cognitive Fatigue and Its Influence on Decision-Making." Journal of Neuroscience 44, no. 11 (2024): 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1234-23.2024
3. Chib, Vikram, Grace Steward, and Vivian Looi. "Brain Fatigue: How the Mind Decides When to Push or Quit." Neuroscience News, June 27, 2025. https://neurosciencenews.com/mental-exhaustion-neuroscience-29361/.
4. Kok, Anton, et al. "Cognitive Control, Motivation, and Fatigue." Cognitive Psychology 134 (2022): 101–115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogpsych.2022.101115.
5. Krockow, Eva M. "Is Decision Fatigue Real?" Psychology Today, September 28, 2023. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/stretching-theory/202309/is-decision-fatigue-real.
(Rh/eth/TL)