Baba Shiv: Sometimes It's Good to Give Up the Driver's Seat

Over the years, research has shown a counterintuitive fact about human nature: That sometimes, having too much choice makes us less happy. This may even be true when it comes to medical treatment. Baba Shiv shares a fascinating study that measures why choice opens the door to doubt, and suggests that ceding control - especially on life-or-death decisions - may be the best thing for us.

A professor at Stanford's Graduate School of Business, Shiv is the director of the Strategic Marketing Management Executive Program and teaches several popular MBA courses, including "The Frinky Science of the Mind" and "Entrepreneurial Ventures in Luxury Markets." He served as the editor of the Journal of Consumer Research and is also on the editorial boards of the Journal of Consumer Psychology, Journal of Retailing, Journal of Marketing and the Journal of Marketing Research.