Status Quo Bias Research Articles

Public support for withdrawal from international organizations: Experimental evidence from the US

The United States has helped create and lead many international organizations (IOs). Yet in the last six years, the US announced its withdrawal from several IOs including the World Health Organization, UNESCO, and the Universal Postal Union. Do Americans care about US withdrawals from IOs? When do Americans support withdrawing from IOs and support candidates who propose this? We argue that Americans’ support for multilateralism tends to divide along party lines, and that IO withdrawal can activate those preferences. We also argue that framing an IO withdrawal as benefiting US national interests can make Americans more likely to favor IO exit. Data from four US survey experiments during the 2016–2020 Trump administration support these arguments. Democrats tend to oppose IO withdrawals while Republicans tend to support them. Further, results show that IO withdrawal (and how it is framed) affects candidate choice and policy support. This suggests that announcing IO withdrawal can be used to rally domestic electoral support. Still, the data also show that a large proportion of the US public values remaining in IOs, even when IOs are imperfect or challenging. In these cases, we note that sunk cost fallacies, status quo bias, and loss aversion may pose friction points for supporting withdrawal. Our findings have important implications for research on public opinion about international cooperation, backlash against IOs, and their life cycles.

Интеграция теории перспектив Амоса Тверски и Даниэля Канемана в концепцию «Lean Trading»

Integration of Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman’s prospect theory into the concept of “Lean Trading” represents an interesting area of research, offering new approaches to trading in financial markets. «Lean Trading» is a trading strategy based on the principles of Lean management approach (taken from production management methodology and focused on minimizing losses and maximizing efficiency). Prospect theory suggests that people make decisions based on their perception of the situation and subjective evaluations, rather than on objective data. Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky proposed several key concepts that can be integrated into «Lean Trading» such as «loss aversion», «ambiguity effect» and «status quo bias». These concepts allow for a better understanding of investor behavior and their risk propensity. Integrating prospect theory into the concept of «Lean Trading» can contribute to improving decision-making processes and risk management, leading to increased trading performance in the stock market, where quick and informed decisions need to be made in a rapidly changing market environment.

Remembering Reasons for Reform: A More Replicable and Reproducible Communication Literature Without the Rancor

Increasing awareness of the “replication crisis” has prompted discussion about replicability and reproducibility in social and behavioral science research, including in communication. As with other fields, communication has seen discussion about concerns with the interpretation of existing research. One response has been the piecemeal adoption of “open science” practices in communication to reduce selectivity in analysis, reporting, and publication of research. Calls for further adoption of such practices have, in turn, been met with criticisms and concerns about the negative consequences of their adoption. Amidst disparate perspectives regarding solutions to replicability and reproducibility issues in communication science, difficulties building consensus and caution about negative outcomes are understandable, but they also present the risk of a status quo bias that could stall the improvement of the replicability and reproducibility of communication research. The urgency of the replication crisis for communication and the cost of inaction are presented here along three exemplifying dimensions perhaps of particular importance in communication research: (a) responsibility to the public, (b) stewardship of resources, and (c) membership in a community of scholars. While debate over solutions will continue, we would do well to keep in mind that problems with replicability and reproducibility in communication research are indeed a crisis needing immediate attention.

THE FACILITATORS AND INHIBITORS OF CUSTOMER ADOPTION OF PURE INTERNET BANKING: TRUST TRANSFER AND STATUS QUO BIAS

ABSTRACT There are three pure Internet banks in Taiwan and Line Bank accounts for more than 90% market share of pure Internet banking. In addition, despite the increasing viability of pure Internet banking, customers continue using existing banking services and results in only 10.16% of all kinds of banking services. To explore why consumers prefer one bank over others and why consumers hesitate to adopt pure Internet banking, this study considers status quo bias (habitual usage) and trust transfer in the context of LINE Bank, a company that provides its customers with comprehensive pure Internet banking services. We also theorize that intimacy with service personnel leads to the habitual usage of existing banking services, and trust in the LINE app and trust in LINE Pay affect customers’ trust in LINE Bank. We also suggest that habitual usage can also reduce trust and moderates the relationship between trust in LINE Bank and usage intention. Survey data from 403 active LINE Pay and Line app users confirm that both trust in the LINE app and trust in LINE Pay exhibit positive effects on trust in LINE Bank, which in turn positively affects usage intention. In addition, intimacy enhances habitual usage, which has a negative effect on trust in LINE Bank, has a direct and negative effect on usage intention, and at the same time adversely moderates the relationship between trust in LINE Bank and usage intention.

Investigating global brand preference bias among low-status consumers

Objective - This study reconciles system justification theory (SJT), intersectionality awareness (IA), and dual attitudes (DA) to determine the conscious-unconscious relationship between consumer identity and global brand preference bias in low-status consumers. Method - We performed three experimental studies: First, we observed the discrepancy between explicit/conscious and implicit/unconscious (DA) global brand attitudes according to established social order (SJT), even if a status quo bias exerts influence. Second, we propose the moderation of the disidentification, which emphasizes the rejection of local elements in this process. Lastly, we propose the mitigation of the disidentification effects through status quo awareness, or Intersectionality Awareness (IA). Relevance/originality – The literature of low-status consumers’ identity relation to brand preference is still developing when tapping multiple layers of perspectives, such as disidentification and identity awareness, and conscious and unconscious processes. The comprehension of this interaction allows a better understanding of the global brand preference bias. Main results – We identified conflicting conscious and unconscious global brand attitudes, potentialized through disidentification with domestic values, those that represent the home country consumer, although their effect can be mitigated by intersectionality awareness. Theoretical/methodological contributions – Theoretically, this study advances the knowledge about global brand preference, including the status quo/awareness theory to better understand the customer-brand relationship. Methodologically, we advanced by employing an unconscious-based technique to address the phenomenon. Social/management contributions – The study explains brand preference bias through the mechanism of disidentification, and their control through social awareness, expanding practitioners’ horizons beyond brand strategies, to consider deep human identity mechanisms. For the individuals and the society, the study proposes understanding on the potential side effects of consumer-brand relationships, presenting coping strategies to deal with this phenomenon, promoting more equality and inclusion.

Status Quo Bias—A Research on Its Applications and the Correlating Mechanism

Status Quo Bias—A Research on Its Applications and the Correlating Mechanism

Teleworking antecedents: an exploration into availability bias as an impediment

Telework technologies have been known since the 1970s, yet their adoption levels remained low until Covid-19-related lockdowns and curfews. The known rational and non-rational technology acceptance theory and biases cannot fully explain this effect. One of the possible answers to fill this gap could be availability bias which has probably also affected the lag in adopting other technologies. To examine this phenomenon, we conducted a qualitative study with 22 interviews with individuals from different organizational backgrounds and telework adoption levels. Following a combination of inductive and deductive coding, we identified three key aspects of availability bias: intention, cognitive visibility, and cognitive transfer. The findings also allowed us to delineate this bias further from other biases, e.g., the status quo bias, and classical technology acceptance models, e.g., UTAUT. Thereby, this study examines a bias so far only very limitedly researched in the information systems and extends technology acceptance and cognitive bias literature. The findings should also enable practitioners to question their way of working and technology use more thoroughly.

Diversity and inclusion practitioners and non-binary employees in the UK: a Bourdieusian analysis

This article examines how diversity and inclusion practitioners in the UK can challenge and/or reproduce the marginalisation of non-binary employees in organisations. Using Bourdieu’s notions of habitus, doxa and illusio, this article unpacks practitioners’ perspectives and approaches toward non-binary equality issues at work. The analysis focuses on examining the relational and situated nature of their organisational roles, and the influence of the wider social order as it relates to non-binary people. Interview data is organised around three main themes that develop this article’s principal contributions: incrementalism, problematisation of gender fluidity, and solidaristic inclusion. While incrementalism and problematisation of gender fluidity indicate an underlying status-quo bias that reproduce gender identity inequalities that affect non-binary employees, solidaristic inclusion offers the promise of transformational change. The conclusion outlines practical implications for IHRM scholars and practitioners.

From Old to New Technologies: Exploring the Role and Impact of Value Resonance

In the research of technology switch, theories such as Push-Pull-Mooring (PPM), Behavioral Reasoning (BRT), Innovation Resistance (IRT), and Status Quo Bias (SQB) have been employed to extend the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), focusing on how old technology factors such as inertia as barriers to embracing new technological innovations. However, our research contends that the impact of these old technology factors on the technology switch is not unequivocal, as they may either hinder or facilitate the transition, depending on whether the new technology retains valued features of the old technology. To delve into this complexity, we introduce the concept of value resonance between old and new technologies. Utilizing Nintendo Switch for empirical analysis, two quantitative studies were conducted. Out of 630 distributed questionnaires, 553 valid responses were collected, yielding an 87.7% response rate. The first study used multi-groups analysis within TAM to differentiate between the technology acceptance group (TAG) and the technology switch group (TSG), contributing to the development of the Technology Switch Model (TSM). The second study applied Covariance-Based Structural Equation Modeling (CB-SEM) to examine value resonance’s mediating role in the TSM. The empirical results revealed discernible differences between TAG and TSG within the TAM framework, providing a robust theoretical basis for the TSM. Furthermore, the result indicated that factors associated with old technology could enhance users’ switching intentions through the mediating mechanism of value resonance. These findings aim to provide a more nuanced understanding of technology switch, highlighting that the dynamics between old and new technologies are more complex and variable than previously assumed.

Truth, Racial Healing, And Transformation:

The public policy process in the United States has strong status quo biases that frustrate efforts to adopt policies focused on racial justice and social equity. On occasion, a policy window opens and the chance for real change increases greatly. This article is a case study focused on advocacy for a Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation (TRHT) Commission during an open policy window that occurred in 2020 related to brutal police violence (readers should know in advance that traumatic events covered in this article include descriptions of racial violence). The findings are drawn primarily from original interviews with advocates for the Commission, providing an outsider’s perspective on this political process.

Decoupling Judgment and Decision Making: A Tale of Two Tails.

Is it true that if citizens understand hurricane probabilities, they will make more rational decisions for evacuation? Finding answers to such questions is not straightforward in the literature because the terms "judgment" and "decision making" are often used interchangeably. This terminology conflation leads to a lack of clarity on whether people make suboptimal decisions because of inaccurate judgments of information conveyed in visualizations or because they use alternative yet currently unknown heuristics. To decouple judgment from decision making, we review relevant concepts from the literature and present two preregistered experiments (N = 601) to investigate if the task (judgment versus decision making), the scenario (sports versus humanitarian), and the visualization (quantile dotplots, density plots, probability bars) affect accuracy. While experiment 1 was inconclusive, we found evidence for a difference in experiment 2. Contrary to our expectations and previous research, which found decisions less accurate than their direct-equivalent judgments, our results pointed in the opposite direction. Our findings further revealed that decisions were less vulnerable to status-quo bias, suggesting decision makers may disfavor responses associated with inaction. We also found that both scenario and visualization types can influence people's judgments and decisions. Although effect sizes are not large and results should be interpreted carefully, we conclude that judgments cannot be safely used as proxy tasks for decision making, and discuss implications for visualization research and beyond. Materials and preregistrations are available at https://osf.io/ufzp5/?view_only=adc0f78a23804c31bf7fdd9385cb264f.

Exploring factors influencing educators’ adoption of ChatGPT: a mixed method approach

PurposeA number of recent artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled technologies, including summarisers, paraphrasers and the cutting-edge chatbots not only have outstanding potentials in modern educational systems but also could lead to a dramatic paradigm shift in the whole education process. This study aims to explore the factors that shape the academic community’s desire and intention to use AI conversational chatbot technology, with a particular focus on the leading ChatGPT.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses a mixed method approach to explore the educators’ adoption of chatbots through an empirically validated model. The model, known as the “Educators’ Adoption of ChatGPT”, was developed by integrating the theoretical foundations of both the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology and Status Quo Bias (SQB) frameworks, as well as insights gathered from interviews. The relationships within this model were then tested using a quantitative approach. The partial least squares-structural equation modelling method was used to analyse 243 valid survey responses.FindingsThe outcomes of the analysis indicated that perceived educators’ effort expectancy, educators’ autonomous motivation, perceived learners’ AI competency, perceived educators’ competency, innovative behaviour towards technological agility and perceived students’ engagement are significant determinants of educators’ intention to use chatbots. In contrast, perceived unfair evaluation of students, perceived students’ overreliance and perceived bias/inaccuracies were shown to have significant impacts on the resistance to use the technology, which typically implies a negatively significant influence on the educators’ use intention. Interestingly, perceived fraudulent use of ChatGPT was proven insignificant on the resistance to use chatbots.Originality/valueThis study makes a significant contribution to the field of educational technology by filling the gap in research on the use and acceptance of AI-enabled assistants in education. It proposes an original, empirically validated model of educator adoption, which identifies the factors that influence educators’ willingness to use chatbots in higher education and offers valuable insights for practical implementation.

Do individuals' resist green home investment decisions? An empirical study from status quo bias and inertia perspective

IntroductionThe study explores the influence of Status Quo Bias theory constructs and the mediating role of inertia on individuals' resistance in making sustainable green home investment decisions among Indian homeowners and prospective homebuyers.MethodsA structured questionnaire was administered to 404 participants, and data analysis was performed using Partial Least Squares Structured Equation Modeling (PLS SEM).ResultsThe findings indicate that factors such as loss aversion, transition costs, adherence to social norms, and self-efficacy to change significantly contribute to individuals' resistance to green home investments. Inertia further amplifies the relationship between transition costs, social norms, and self-efficacy to change, but does not mediate the impact of loss aversion.DiscussionThis study is valuable for enhancing our understanding of biases in decision-making processes. To combat this resistance, it is crucial to provide clear information about the benefits of green home upgrades and offer incentives that reduce perceived costs and risks. This research sheds new light on the influence of status quo bias and inertia specifically within the context of green home investment decisions, addressing contemporary concerns for environmental sustainability and the increasing importance of such decisions in today's world.

SQB -- A Research on Its Applications and The Correlating Mechanism

After several former studies on the cognitive heuristics and correlating economical influences, the explanatory effectiveness of SQB perspective is explained by multiple empirical scenarios. Hence, this essay will focus on three applications in which the SQB perspective, correlating models and research methods would provide insightful opinions. After reviewing the former attempts on the original model and early researchers’ empirical examination on the Status Quo Bias (SQB), this essay will concentrate on SQB and technology resistance among the public sector employees, SQB and medical insurance outcomes, SQB and shoppers’ online shopping resistance respectively. For each application, research methodology will be explained and be integrated into the SQB perspective through the research question. Through researching on these applications’ methodology and main studies, discussing cognitive biases existing in the empirical scenarios, the present study could approach to the efficiency of the explanation from SQB perspective.

Applications and Implications of Status Quo Bias

Status quo bias (SQB) refers to the inclination of individuals to prefer and maintain the current state in decision-making. This study explores the profound impact of SQB on decision-making in the fields of medicine, technology, and business. Through an extensive review of existing literature, we examine how SQB significantly influences the decision-making process and its subsequent outcomes, hampering the progress of innovation and hindering the adoption of optimal choices. Rooted in factors such as familiarity, comfort, and resistance to change, SQB acts as a formidable barrier to embracing novel alternatives. Additionally, limited understanding and low market penetration further reinforce this cognitive bias. By gaining a comprehensive understanding of the nature and implications of SQB, policymakers and decision-makers can access valuable insights to guide future planning and strategies effectively, mitigating the adverse effects of this cognitive bias. The study aims to encourage progress in medicine, technology, and business domains by promoting the exploration and adoption of new products and practices. By acknowledging and addressing SQB, stakeholders can foster a culture of adaptability and open-mindedness, ultimately driving positive advancements in their respective fields.

An Overview of Status Quo Bias and Its Applications

Behavioural economics has highlighted various biases that impact decision-making processes, including the pervasive status quo bias. This paper explores the impact of status quo bias indecision-making and its implications for policy interventions. The first section provides an overview of the status quo bias, its underlying mechanisms, and its prevalence across different domains. The second section investigates the consequences of status quo bias on individual decision-making, such as inertia, suboptimal choices, and resistance to change. Additionally, it discusses how status quo bias can lead to market inefficiencies and hinder social welfare. The third section explores potential policy interventions to mitigate the negative effects of status quo bias, including default options, nudges, and information provision. It also discusses the ethical considerations and potential limitations of these interventions. Understanding the role of status quo bias and its implications is crucial for policymakers and individuals alike, as it can inform the design of interventions that promote better decision-making and improve overall societal outcomes.

Implications of Status Quo Bias on Individuals, Businesses and Governments

Implications of Status Quo Bias on Individuals, Businesses and Governments

Alternative Pathways to Social Work Licensure: A Critical Review and Social Equity Policy Analysis

ABSTRACT Purpose In August 2022, the Association of Social Work Boards released a long called for pass rate analysis that revealed significant disparities. While many states look to cease the requirement of the Bachelors, Masters, and Advanced Generalist exams in their licensure process, status quo bias leads to hesitancy to remove the requirement of the Clinical exam. Method A critical review was undertaken to identify possible alternatives to the current multiple-choice competency-based exam which yielded three assessment formats (oral exams, portfolios, and performance assessment/simulations) and two alternatives (jurisprudence exams and provisional licensure). Informed by an Afrocentric lens, we undertook a social and racial policy analysis to examine alternative pathways for licensure from the perspective of a social work board member. We centered our analysis on the impacts on (1) Black social workers, who currently have the highest pass-rate disparities; (2) social workers whose primary language is not English, and (3) social workers with disabilities who have anecdotally reported difficulty with getting testing accommodations. We rated each alternative on four social equity analysis criteria of procedural fairness, access, quality, and outcomes. These ratings were computed into an overall rating for each alternative from equitable to inequitable. Results We found jurisprudence exams and provisional licensure have the best possibility of being equitable pathways to licensure, with potential impacts on the regulation of supervision and continuing education. Conclusion Anti-racism and social justice as praxis require social work as a profession to divest from competency-based testing to eliminate racism in our own professional policies.

Physical Frictions and Digital Banking Adoption

The behavioral literature suggests that minor frictions can elicit desirable behavior without obvious coercion. Using closures of ATMs in a densely populated city as an instrument for small frictions to physical banking access, we find that customers affected by ATM closures increase their usage of the bank’s digital platform. Other spillover effects of this adoption of financial technology include increases in point-of-sale transactions, electronic funds transfers, automatic bill payments and savings, and a reduction in cash usage. Our results show that minor frictions can help overcome the status quo bias and facilitate significant behavior change. This paper was accepted by David Sraer, finance. Supplemental Material: Data and the online appendix are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2023.4972 .

An Analysis of Status Quo Bias and Its Applications in Behavioral Economics

Status quo bias is a common psychological bias in decision-making, and this kind of bias is strong enough to impact or bother peoples personal lives. So it is quite important to explore more about it. This article, through literature research and case analysis, indicates how the status quo bias comes out in aspects of brain science and how it applies to online medical services and consumer behavior. In conclusion, it was discovered that some signal changes in certain neurons in the brain lure people to accept the current situation. Besides, in terms of medical services, due to previous behavioral habits, people tend to ask for help at a local hospital rather than turn to online medical services. To reduce the status quo bias, service providers can increase the attractiveness of alternative options to the status quo. In terms of consumption, most irrational consumers will choose to ignore the free return policy when they shop. Merchants can take targeted measures, such as offering shipping insurance and significantly improving product quality, to fully explore the status quo bias.