Status-Quo Bias

People tend to avoid change. Whether it’s deciding what to order at a restaurant or selecting a new approach towards a way of life, choosing something you are already familiar with is often the most tempting path.

A status quo bias or default bias is a cognitive bias which results from a preference for the maintenance of one's existing state of affairs. The current baseline (or status quo) is taken as a reference point, and any change from that baseline is perceived as a loss or gain. Corresponding to different alternatives, this current baseline or default option is perceived and evaluated by individuals as a positive.

Status quo bias should be distinguished from a rational preference for the status quo, as when the current state of affairs is objectively superior to the available alternatives, or when imperfect information is a significant problem. A large body of evidence, however, shows that status quo bias frequently affects human decision-making. Status quo bias should also be distinguished from psychological inertia, which refers to a lack of intervention in the current course of affairs. The bias intersects with other non-rational cognitive processes such as loss aversion, in which losses comparative to gains are weighed to a greater extent. Further non-rational cognitive processes include existence bias, endowment effect, longevity, mere exposure, and regret avoidance.

This is similar to the saying “let the lying dogs lie” or similar to the procrastinations we face in our day to day lives and most extreme of this bias is not wanting to get out of toxic relationships not only by Rationalisation Bias but also by Status-Quo Bias being at play in our minds and we get stuck in such toxic relationships with family, friends, partners, colleagues, boss, etc. We also live with dangerous hope that the other side will somehow miraculously change their ways towards us and get stuck with the Rationalisation Bias and Status-Quo Bias in such scenarios. In a way this is similar to building comfort zones in adverse situations in our lives and living in a bubble (Hope) that things would change someday for the good. While disheartening, humans are hardwired to value short term rewards over long term benefits.