Fast-food chains use psychology trick to make you spend more money on their menu items: report

Fast food is often viewed as one of the cheapest ways to grab a meal, but some deals that look like bargains may be doing more to boost restaurant profits than protect consumers’ wallets.

At the center of the strategy is a pricing tactic known as the "decoy effect," a psychological phenomenon in which a less attractive third option subtly nudges customers toward a more expensive choice, according to the journal Electronic Commerce Research and Applications.

Fast-food chains frequently...