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Status quo bias has been attributed to a combination of loss aversion and the endowment effect, two ideas relevant to prospect theory.An individual weighs the potential losses of switching from the status quo more heavily than the potential gains; this is due to the prospect theory value function being steeper in the loss domain. [1]
Status quo bias, the tendency to prefer things to stay relatively the same. [76] [77] System justification, the tendency to defend and bolster the status quo. Existing social, economic, and political arrangements tend to be preferred, and alternatives disparaged, sometimes even at the expense of individual and collective self-interest.
System justification theory is a theory within social psychology that system-justifying beliefs serve a psychologically palliative function. It proposes that people have several underlying needs, which vary from individual to individual, that can be satisfied by the defense and justification of the status quo, even when the system may be disadvantageous to certain people.
In status quo bias, a decision-maker has the increased propensity to choose an option because it is the default option or status quo. Has been shown to affect various important economic decisions, for example, a choice of car insurance or electrical service .
Status quo bias should be distinguished from a rational preference for the status quo ante, as when the current state of affairs is objectively superior to the available alternatives, or when imperfect information is a significant problem. A large body of evidence, however, shows that status quo bias frequently affects human decision-making. [63]
For policymakers, denying addicts the best scientifically proven treatment carries no political cost. But there’s a human cost to maintaining a status quo in which perpetual relapse is considered a natural part of a heroin addict’s journey to recovery. Relapse for a heroin addict is no mere setback. It can be deadly.
An individual's utility function is impacted by their reference point. Reference dependence asserts a value onto a product that can be assigned with numerous differing attributes the value is measured by the deviation from a reference point or status quo, which is either a gain or a loss in value.
The reversal test is a heuristic designed to spot and eliminate status quo bias, an emotional bias irrationally favouring the current state of affairs.The test is applicable to the evaluation of any decision involving a potential deviation from the status quo along some continuous dimension.