This study examines the sunk cost phenomenon in the temporal domain with human subjects. We used an adjusting procedure to quantitatively assess the effect of time on the value of an alternative. To explore whether a magnitude effect, similar to that documented in delay discounting studies, could be observed in a sunk cost scenario, we used a within-subject design with two different magnitudes. Two questionnaires were applied individually to 47 first-year psychology students. In each questionnaire, a hypothetical situation was presented in which participants were told that they had waited a certain amount of time to buy a guitar. Then, participants had to pay for the guitar and choose whether to keep it or sell it. Each questionnaire included five delay conditions (between one month and sixty months). The two questionnaires differed only in the nominal value of the guitar. In one of the questionnaires, a smaller magnitude was used (520 USD); in the other one, the value of the guitar was larger (3900 USD). The data suggest a sunk time effect and a linear increase in the subjective value of the alternatives proportional to the time invested. We found evidence of generality of the magnitude effect to the sunk cost scenario. Time investments caused a greater change in the value of outcomes of smaller magnitudes. We suggest that future research lines could evaluate the generality of these findings using different types of population, questionnaires, frames, delays, and commodities.

中文翻译：

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沉没时间效应：使用受试者内设计的时间投入和奖励幅度的影响

本研究以人类受试者检查时间域中的沉没成本现象。我们使用调整程序来定量评估时间对备选方案价值的影响。为了探索在沉没成本情景中是否可以观察到类似于延迟贴现研究中记录的量级效应，我们使用了具有两个不同量级的受试者内设计。两份问卷分别应用于 47 名一年级心理学学生。在每份问卷中，都提出了一种假设情况，参与者被告知他们已经等了一段时间才能购买吉他。然后，参与者必须为吉他付费并选择是保留还是出售。每份问卷包括五个延迟条件（1 个月到 60 个月之间）。两份问卷仅在吉他的标称值上有所不同。在其中一份问卷中，使用了较小的量级（520 美元）；在另一个中，吉他的价值更大（3900 美元）。数据表明沉没时间效应和替代品主观价值的线性增长与投入的时间成正比。我们发现了沉没成本情景的幅度效应具有普遍性的证据。时间投资会导致规模较小的结果的价值发生更大的变化。我们建议未来的研究路线可以使用不同类型的人口、问卷、框架、延迟和商品来评估这些发现的普遍性。数据表明沉没时间效应和替代品主观价值的线性增长与投入的时间成正比。我们发现了沉没成本情景的幅度效应具有普遍性的证据。时间投资会导致规模较小的结果的价值发生更大的变化。我们建议未来的研究路线可以使用不同类型的人口、问卷、框架、延迟和商品来评估这些发现的普遍性。数据表明沉没时间效应和替代品主观价值的线性增长与投入的时间成正比。我们发现了沉没成本情景的幅度效应具有普遍性的证据。时间投资会导致规模较小的结果的价值发生更大的变化。我们建议未来的研究路线可以使用不同类型的人口、问卷、框架、延迟和商品来评估这些发现的普遍性。