Rational Ignorance

When people are planning to make an important purchase, they often spend a great deal of time gathering information about their various options to make the best possible choice. However, when making less important purchases, people may decide it is not worth gathering information beforehand. This phenomenon is called rational ignorance. If the differences between products seem small or unimportant, people may decide not to learn about them. In words, people deliberately choose to remain ignorant of the differences because learning about them is not worth the time or energy. The products are so similar that no significant benefit can come from choosing one over another.