Joumal of Risk and Uncertainty, 1: 7-59 (1988) © t988 Kluwer Academic Publishers, Boston Status Quo Bias in Decision Making

economics, rationality Most real decisions, unlike those of economics texts, have a status quo alternative—that is, doing noth-ing or maintaining one's current or previous decision. A series of decision-making experiments shows that individuals disproportionately stick with the status quo. Data on the selections of health plans and retirement programs by faculty members reveal that the status quo bias is substantial in important real decisions. Economics, psychology, and decision theory provide possible explanations for this bias. Ap-plications are discussed ranging from marketing techniques, to industrial organization, to the advance of science. 'To do nothing is within the power of all men.&quot