Many everyday services are designed to reduce waiting, steps, and human contact. MyIQ survey findings suggest people welcome that efficiency for routine tasks, while applying a different standard when an interaction carries personal value.
Much of digital design is built around a simple objective: make a task easier to complete. Payments, bookings and routine requests can often be handled without waiting, travelling or speaking to another person. That model works particularly well when completion is the main objective. It becomes less straightforward when the interaction itself is part of what people value.
A MyIQ survey of 12,438 adults across the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Latin America, and the European Union found that 57% said they are more likely to choose an option requiring additional time or effort when an activity feels personally meaningful, rather than simply taking the easiest route.
The distinction is clearest in the contrast between administration and communication. 64% said they prefer the most convenient option for routine administrative tasks, including appointments, payments and basic errands. When a matter feels important, 59% said they would rather speak to someone directly than use the fastest available digital option.
The findings suggest that people evaluate convenience according to what they expect from an activity. Where the objective is primarily to finish a task, less friction has an obvious advantage. When attention or direct involvement forms part of the experience, additional effort can remain acceptable.
Shopping and leisure show a related pattern. 52% said they sometimes choose to visit a physical shop, venue or location even when completing the same activity online would be quicker. The finding does not establish why respondents make that choice, but it shows that access to a faster alternative does not determine the decision in every case.
For services increasingly organised around efficiency, that distinction has practical consequences. Removing a queue, a journey or an unnecessary step can improve an interaction when those things stand between a person and the outcome they want. The same logic does not automatically apply when presence, attention or direct contact forms part of the value of the activity.
Sarah Meyer, Managing Director of MyIQ, said the more useful divide may be between experiences people want to complete and those they want to participate in. “The interesting boundary is not between digital and physical. It is between a task someone wants finished and an experience they want to feel involved in. As systems become better at removing effort, the harder question is whether some of that effort was part of what made the interaction valuable in the first place.”
That helps explain why the same person can favour self-service for one part of life and accept substantially more effort elsewhere. The survey found strong support for convenience in routine administration alongside a willingness to spend more time or effort on activities respondents consider meaningful. The preferences vary with the purpose of the interaction rather than following a single rule about whether convenience is desirable.
For businesses and services built around efficiency, the findings point to a narrower question than how much friction can be removed. The more useful question is which friction prevents people from getting what they want and which forms part of the experience they have chosen to have. Speed retains clear value, but its advantage becomes less certain when the fastest option removes something people consider worth keeping.
About MyIQ:
MyIQ was launched in 2024 and is used by over a million individuals worldwide. It is a digital self-knowledge platform that offers more than an IQ score, with over 9 million completed tests across the various test categories: cognitive, personality, and relationships, all with personalised, actionable insights. The platform offers over 25 brain games, more than 150 intelligence puzzles, over 20 hours of expert video content, and 300+ available lessons on emotional intelligence, problem-solving, innovation, confidence-building, and decision-making. Through its IQ test, full-spectrum personality assessment, and relationship insight quiz, MyIQ delivers structured, personalized feedback that helps individuals better understand their inner world and behaviour.
MyIQ was launched in 2024 and is used by over a million individuals worldwide. It is a digital self-knowledge platform that offers more than an IQ score, with over 9 million completed tests across the various test categories: cognitive, personality, and relationships, all with personalised, actionable insights. The platform offers over 25 brain games, more than 150 intelligence puzzles, over 20 hours of expert video content, and 300+ available lessons on emotional intelligence, problem-solving, innovation, confidence-building, and decision-making. Through its IQ test, full-spectrum personality assessment, and relationship insight quiz, MyIQ delivers structured, personalized feedback that helps individuals better understand their inner world and behaviour.