What category does Hick's Law belong to?

Hick's Law belongs to the "Concepts" category in personal knowledge management and productivity.

What are the key topics related to Hick's Law?

Key topics related to Hick's Law include: concepts, productivity, psychology, ux.

What are alternative names for Hick's Law?

Hick's Law is also known as: Hick-Hyman Law, Choice reaction time.

Hick's Law

Decision time increases logarithmically with the number of choices available.

Also known as: Hick-Hyman Law, Choice reaction time

Category: Concepts

Tags: concepts, productivity, psychology, ux

Explanation

Hick's Law states that the time it takes to make a decision increases logarithmically as the number of choices increases. More options = slower decisions. In PKM, this means: too many folder options slows filing; too many tags creates choice paralysis; too many tools fragments attention. Hick's Law supports the case for simpler systems with fewer, well-defined options. Reduce choice where possible - have a default location for captures, standard templates, and clear criteria for organization.

Related Concepts

Choice Overload
Decision Fatigue
Paradox of Choice

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