To minimize distress associated with choices with uncertain consequences, individuals with high levels of anxiety may continue with familiar choices rather than seek out novel choices. As a result, they might be more vulnerable to sunk cost fallacy, the inability to ignore unrecoverable prior investments when making decisions about the future. Considering that cognitive reappraisal may mitigate the association between anxiety and poor decision making, the present study examined the relations between cognitive reappraisal, anxiety, and resistance to sunk cost. To this end, 108 undergraduates completed questionnaires assessing their tendency to engage in cognitive reappraisal, severity of anxiety, and resistance to sunk cost. Participants’ tendency to engage in cognitive reappraisal moderated the relation between the severity of anxiety and resistance to sunk cost. However, in individuals who typically engaged in cognitive reappraisal, only lower levels of anxiety were associated with higher resistance to sunk cost. Individuals with high vs. low levels of anxiety might differ in how they reappraise negative situations, which can consequently affect resistance to sunk cost.

为了使与具有不确定后果的选择相关的困扰最小化，焦虑程度高的人可以继续熟悉的选择，而不是寻求新颖的选择。结果，他们可能更容易陷入沉没的成本谬误，即在做出未来决策时无法忽略无法收回的先前投资。考虑到认知重新评估可以减轻焦虑与决策不力之间的联系，因此本研究探讨了认知重新评估，焦虑与沉没成本抵抗之间的关系。为此，有108名大学生完成了问卷调查，以评估他们进行认知重新评估的趋势，焦虑的严重程度以及对沉没成本的抵抗力。参加者进行认知重新评估的倾向减轻了焦虑的严重程度和对沉没成本的抵制之间的关系。但是，在通常进行认知评估的个人中，只有较低的焦虑水平与对沉没成本的较高抵抗力相关。焦虑程度高或低的人在重新评估负面情况的方式上可能会有所不同，因此可能会影响对沉没成本的抵制。