Knee-deep in the big muddy: a study of escalating commitment to a chosen course of action
Has this study been replicated?
The atlas records 2 replications of this study. Recorded outcomes: 1 mixed, 1 failed. The earliest on record is from 2021.
Replications
- Does change of responsibility reduce escalating commitment? A replication and theoretical extension, Schultze & Schulz-Hardt (2022). Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied. Outcome recorded: mixed.
In the first of two experiments, we did not find evidence of temporal stability.
Outcome read from the abstract. View paper - Escalation of commitment is independent of numeracy and cognitive reflection. Failed replication and extension of Staw (1976), Białek et al. (2021). Economics and Business Review. Outcome recorded: failed.
An attempt was made to replicate this finding and test whether individual differences in numeracy and cognitive reflection could help explain such an effect. No evidence for escalation of commitment amongst the participants was found (N = 365). Participants simply invested more in more promising projects. Also, no evidence was found that numeracy or cognitive reflection predict escalation behaviour.
Outcome read from the abstract. View paper
Cite this record
Staw, B. M. (1976). Knee-deep in the big muddy: a study of escalating commitment to a chosen course of action. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 16(1), 27–44. https://doi.org/10.1016/0030-5073(76)90005-2
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