Choice diagnostics

What is Choice Diagnostics?

Choice diagnostics means investigating how people move through a decision process: what choices they face, what information they have, what constrains them, and where the result differs from the intended goal. It is not one universally standardized or validated instrument.

A structured investigation

Start by specifying the behavior. Who needs to do what, where, and when? The AACTT framework (2019) offers dimensions for doing this. The COM-B framework (2011) can then organize questions about capability, opportunity, and motivation.

An Example: An Unfinished Tax Form

Suppose self-employed workers leave an online tax form unfinished. They may lack a document the form requires, misunderstand the instructions, or decide to finish later for another reason. Map where they leave, examine what the form asks for, and investigate those competing explanations. A drop-off is an observation, not a diagnosis of procrastination.

Adding a save-and-return feature is a proposal until tested. A drop-off point alone cannot reveal a single cause or guarantee which change will have the greatest effect.