Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 12, 2026

Errors as a Means of Reducing Impulsive Food Choice
Published on: June 5, 2016
Psychological antecedents of escalation behavior: effects of choice, responsibility, and decision consequences
1Department of Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management, Krannert Graduate School of Management, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-1310, USA. schoor@mgmt.purdue.edu
Abstract:
Research on escalation behavior has proposed that choice of an initial course of action, responsibility for decision outcomes, and negative decision consequences are necessary conditions for the escalation effect to occur. This proposition was tested in a sample of 257 undergraduates. Results show that although responsibility and negative decision consequences contribute to the escalation effect, they are not necessary conditions for escalation to occur. Escalation is also observed when a choice is overruled, and there are positive consequences for the implemented course of action. The escalation bias is greatest when the consequences are inconsistent with participants' expectations. These results are consistent with a self-justification explanation.
More Related Videos
05:48The Adventures of Fundi Intervention Based on the Cognitive and Emotional Processing in Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder Patients
Published on: June 12, 2020
08:24The Joint Effect of Social Comparison and Social Distance on Evaluation of Intertemporal Choice Outcomes in Event-related Potential Studies
Published on: August 25, 2023
Related Concept Videos
Reason and Intuition
Attribution Theory
Fundamental Attribution Error
Decision Making
Automatic decision-making is fast, intuitive, and relies on gut feelings...
Social Psychology and Individual Behavior
Personal Choice and Fate Attributions