Abstract: Decisions can be remarkably influenced by how an option is framed and elicited. However, as a special variant of the elicited method, the potential value and application of selection and rejection have been traditionally underestimated by researchers. The discrepancies between selection and rejection can be represented in five aspects, including cognitive effort, attention, decision criteria, and so on. Over the past 30 years, the enrichment paradigm, phased narrowing technique, and direct inquiry methods have gradually developed as paradigms. These have helped explore some relatively mature theoretical hypotheses, such as compatibility principle, commitment hypothesis, and accentuation hypothesis, to illustrate the inherent mechanism of the difference between the selection and rejection response modes. Meanwhile, the selection and rejection response mode has played a driving role in consumer behavior, health care, and other areas. Future studies may consider the application value and promotion practice of the selection and rejection response mode as a tool of nudging. This work attempts to shed light on the knowledge of selection and rejection as well as showing new applications for future research.

Key words: response mode, selection and rejection, choice architecture, mechanism, nudge