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Concept

Decision Reversibility - Selection Logic

How costly it is to undo a decision (returns, switching cost, sunk cost, social cost).

Aliases: Decision reversibility, Reversibility

Definition

Decision Reversibility: How costly it is to undo a decision (returns, switching cost, sunk cost, social cost).


Why it matters (T2.2)

Low reversibility increases the cost of errors, so it increases the justified cognitive budget and evidence threshold.


What makes a decision less reversible

Factor Example
return friction short return window, restocking fees
switching cost data migration, learning curve
sunk cost accessories, subscriptions
social cost public commitments

References

  1. Payne, J. W., Bettman, J. R., & Johnson, E. J. (1993). The Adaptive Decision Maker. Cambridge University Press.[source]
  2. Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking, Fast and Slow. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.[source]

Further Reading