What does escalation of commitment involve?

Escalation of commitment involves increasing investment in a decision or course of action, even in the face of evidence that it may not be yielding positive results. This phenomenon highlights a behavioral tendency where individuals or organizations continue to allocate resources, such as time, money, or effort, to a failing endeavor because they have already invested heavily in it. This persistence is often driven by psychological factors like the desire to justify previous commitments and avoid the feeling of loss associated with abandoning the efforts.

In this context, the correct choice emphasizes the willingness to throw good resources after bad, reflecting a reluctance to acknowledge failure or to pull back from an unwise course of action. This can lead to further losses and poor decision-making, as decision-makers become trapped in a cycle of justifying their initial choices rather than objectively assessing the current situation.