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The sunk cost effect in pigeons and humans
Anton D Navarro1, Edmund Fantino
1Department of Psychology 0109, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92093-0109, USA. anton_pirulero@hotmail.com
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
|March 15, 2005
Summary
The sunk cost effect, persisting in endeavors after investment, was studied in pigeons and humans. Pigeons showed more non-optimal persistence when changes were signaled less obviously and increases were smaller.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral economics
- Animal cognition
- Decision-making
Background:
- The sunk cost effect describes persisting with an endeavor after an investment.
- This effect has primarily been observed in humans.
- Understanding its roots may shed light on decision-making processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a behavior-analytic model of the sunk cost effect.
- To investigate the presence of sunk cost behavior in pigeons.
- To compare decision-making in pigeons and humans under conditions of sunk costs.
Main Methods:
- A behavioral model was created where trials started with short expected ratios, sometimes increasing mid-trial.
- Subjects could 'escape' trials with increased ratios to initiate new ones.
- Experiments manipulated signal presence and severity of ratio increase in pigeons, and ratio increase severity in humans.
Main Results:
- Pigeons persisted non-optimally more when ratio increases were less severe and lacked warning stimuli.
- Human subjects showed similar patterns to pigeons regarding the severity of the ratio increase.
- A specific reinforcement history paradoxically decreased, rather than increased, persistence in pigeons.
Conclusions:
- The sunk cost effect can be modeled and observed in non-human animals like pigeons.
- Environmental cues and the magnitude of the 'cost' influence persistence.
- Reinforcement history may play a complex role in modulating sunk cost behavior.