Concept · Cognitive Bias: Decision-making and judgment biases
Status quo bias
Origin: Samuelson & Zeckhauser, 1988
The Biological Bridge
This business construct is human-invented, but the outcome it's trying to achieve has deep biological roots.
Surface Construct
Preference for current state over change
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Underlying Outcome
Default to proven-safe options when uncertainty is high
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Biological Mechanism
Neophobia / habitat fidelity. Animals show strong preference for known territories, foods, and behaviors because novelty carries hidden risks. A bird that switches to a new nesting site faces unknown predator patterns, microclimates, and food availability. Status quo bias is risk management when the current state is known-survivable.
Key Insight: Status quo bias is expensive insurance against unknown unknowns. It's maladaptive only when the current state is demonstrably worse than alternatives.
The Full Picture
Territories, once established, are defended far more vigorously than new territories are pursued. Animals invest disproportionately in preserving existing resources versus acquiring equivalent new ones—the endowment effect at work. Status quo bias evolved because in stable environments, the known carries less risk than the unknown. But this creates path dependency: suboptimal territories persist because the cost of abandoning accumulated investment exceeds the benefit of relocation. Current state becomes destiny.