A Replication and Extension of Three Studies Investigating Escalation of Commitment and Regret Aversion

This article presents preregistered replications of three influential studies in the field of escalation of commitment and regret aversion. In Study 1, we found partial support for Staw's (1976) article on the effects of personal responsibility and consequences on the escalation of commitment. Study 2 failed to replicate Zeelenberg et al. (1996) article examining the role of feedback on risk preferences. The extension of study 2 found a small correlation between the tendency to experience regret and risk preferences of participants in the Safe ONLY condition. In Study 3, we failed to replicate Wong and Kwong's (2007) results that showed a causal effect of personal responsibility and regret possibility on the escalation of commitment. Moreover, study 3's extension found no support for individual differences in neuroticism on the escalation of commitment. The impact of this replication on our understanding of decision-making processes and the factors that contribute to individuals' commitment to their choices will be discussed.