Projects & Money · interactive demo

Would You Continue If the Past Investment Disappeared?

The future economics stay the same. Only one version reminds you how much has already been spent.

Question

Does visible past investment make continued funding feel more attractive even when future costs and benefits are unchanged?

This is an educational demonstration, not a scientific measurement of you. One response cannot show that a bias caused your choice.

Your response stays on this page. Nothing is sent or stored.

Random condition

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You can still compare the two conditions manually.

Past investment visible

A project has already used €400,000 and eight months of work. From today, it needs another €100,000. There is a 30% chance it will produce €250,000 of future business value. Continue or stop?

Future-only version

A project starts today. It needs €100,000. There is a 30% chance it will produce €250,000 of future business value. Continue or stop?

Evidence-reviewed lens

Escalation of Commitment

Sunk-cost effects and escalation of commitment overlap but are not interchangeable. Sunk-cost research asks whether irrecoverable prior investments influence current choices. Escalation of commitment describes persistence or additional resource allocation to a failing course of action and can also be driven by personal responsibility, self-justification, project structure, and other factors.

Read the evidence review →

Why Bad Projects Are So Hard to Stop · Work & project decisions

How to interpret this

The future decision is identical in both versions. The €400,000 has already gone and should not become a future benefit.

Better check: Ask whether you would fund the next step if the project arrived today with no history.