Which bias describes increasing commitment to a project despite negative information about it?

Which bias describes increasing commitment to a project despite negative information about it?

• A. Escalation of commitment bias
• B. Sunk-cost bias
• C. Confirmation bias
• D. Unstructured interviews

Answer: (A)

Escalation of commitment bias describes how people keep investing in a project even when new information suggests it’s unlikely to succeed. The behavior stems from a desire not to admit past mistakes, along with the pull of earlier investments (time, money, effort) and the pressure to justify those previous choices. As negative data comes in, decisions become distorted: teams may reinterpret results to keep a positive view of the plan, double down on resources, and resist stopping the project. That exact pattern—increasing commitment in the face of adverse information—explains why this bias is the best label for the situation. Sunk-cost bias is related in that prior investments can influence continuing a course, but it centers on not wasting what’s already spent rather than the broader pattern of persisting despite new negative evidence. Confirmation bias is about favoring information that confirms preconceptions, not specifically about escalating commitment. Unstructured interviews are a method of data collection, not a bias.

Escalation of commitment bias describes how people keep investing in a project even when new information suggests it’s unlikely to succeed. The behavior stems from a desire not to admit past mistakes, along with the pull of earlier investments (time, money, effort) and the pressure to justify those previous choices. As negative data comes in, decisions become distorted: teams may reinterpret results to keep a positive view of the plan, double down on resources, and resist stopping the project. That exact pattern—increasing commitment in the face of adverse information—explains why this bias is the best label for the situation.

Sunk-cost bias is related in that prior investments can influence continuing a course, but it centers on not wasting what’s already spent rather than the broader pattern of persisting despite new negative evidence. Confirmation bias is about favoring information that confirms preconceptions, not specifically about escalating commitment. Unstructured interviews are a method of data collection, not a bias.