Don't Just Do Something — Stand There

In everyday decisions — for example, whether to switch car brands — people tend to choose the status quo rather than try something new. This British study of 17 normal young adults examined whether regretting a change from the status quo influences this tendency.

The participants viewed a virtual tennis court and were asked to decide whether a ball was “in” or “out.” Each pushed one of two keys to indicate the decision and then kept the finger on that key while waiting for the next trial. After each trial, participants were told whether they made the correct choice. At study's end, payment was given for correct answers.

Participants were more likely to stay with their previous choice (status quo acceptance) than make a new one (status quo rej…