The effects of individual differences and anonymity on commitment to decisions: Preliminary evidence

This study examined the effects of inner-motivation, other-motivation, and anonymity on escalation to commitment, by using an extended version of Staw 's financial allocation task (B. M. Staw, 1976). Participants' inner-motiva tion and other-motivation were measured with scales created for this study. Participants were told there would be a group discussion and that they wou ld have to make decisions. Their escalations to commitment might have occur red in anticipation of having to justify their decisions to others. Other-m otivation was correlated positively with initial commitment. Final commitme nt was negatively correlated with participants' inner-motivation. It is pos sible that once the neutral views of the others became known, the participa nts adjusted their commitments to reflect their inner-motivation. Anonymity did not affect commitment.