ves and the adviser. That is, choosers picked something that was worse for them overall just to help the adviser to get something as well.
Other studies in this series found that choosers would pick the worse option about half the time even when the disclosure was made by the experimenter rather than by the adviser. That is, having an independent person disclose the conflict did not stop people from picking the option that was worse for them just to help the adviser.
These studies demonstrate that your willingness to be cooperative with others can work against us. After all, an adviser’s job is to help you get what you want. Yet, when your advisers have a reason to recommend something that is better for them than it is for you, there is still a desire to help them out at your own expense.
In the real world (as opposed to these experimental situations), the problem is probably even worse. In these studies, participants could generally evaluate the options perfectly well for themselves. In the world, you go to advisers (doctors, mechanics, financial planners), because they have expertise that you don’t have. So, even if you do not completely trust the advice we are given, that advice is still better than what you might be able to come up with on your own.
Ultimately, your best defense against biased recommendations is to get several independent opinions. Hopefully, the various advisers you consult will have different conflicts. If you can find some consensus among several advisers, that agreement may reflect what is best for you.