RESEARCH_FILE
Barry M. Staw
University of California, Berkeley
Known for:Foundational research on escalation of commitment — demonstrating that personal responsibility for a prior investment drives continued over-investment even as evidence of failure mounts
SEE THE PRACTICE
Turn a thought this research explains into one clear move.
THE THOUGHT
“If they knew the real numbers, they'd all leave”
YOUR RECORDED RESPONSE
“My team can handle the real numbers.”
ONE PRIVATE MOVE
Open a blank note and type the three numbers you have been paraphrasing most often, then add one neutral label beside each, such as “cash,” “pipeline,” or “headcount.” Save it and close the note without editing it.
Key findings
- 1976
In a controlled experiment, Staw found that participants who felt personally responsible for an initial investment continued allocating significantly more resources to it when it showed signs of failure — establishing escalation of commitment as a documented cognitive phenomenon driven by self-justification, not strategic logic. Knee-Deep in the Big Muddy: A Study of Escalating Commitment to a Chosen Course of Action ↗