Fear, Anger, Escalation of Commitment

論文發表人 : 蔡明宏 (加州大學洛杉磯分校)

http://meeting.aomonline.org/2008/

 

Drawing on the Appraisal-Tendency Framework (Lerner & Keltner, 2000; 2001), we examined how specific emotions influence the escalation of commitment phenomenon. First, we found that fearful people escalate their commitment less strongly than angry people. Second, we examined two mediators that explain the relationship between these two emotions and the escalation tendency. The relationship was fully mediated by perceiving risk in the prior, failing decision (affective evaluation) and the feeling of obligation to reinvest in it (affective regulation). Third, we identified the moderating effect of personal responsibility on the relationship between each emotion and these two mediators. We found that personal responsibility strengthens the association between these emotions and the feeling of obligation to reinvest in one's previous decision. Implications for the current findings are discussed, along with limitations and suggestions for future research.