More on escalating commitment (the social component)

I have written before about this administration's escalating commitment to a failing course of action (Ross and Staw, 1993;  "Fear and self-loathing";  "Republicans, what did you expect?";).  Trump's ill-considered encouragement of the use of the unproven anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine offers another illustration.

After hearing a rumor that hydroxychloroquine might mitigate covid-19's symptoms, he rushed to publicly tout its possible efficacy; "Try it! What have you got to loose?".  But once he'd publicly encouraged the use of the drug, he was no longer able to back away, even when it was pointed out that 1) there was as yet no evidence for its efficacy, 2) there was evidence that it had harmful side-effects and 3) the ensuing rush to get the drug was making it harder to find for those for whom it had been appropriately prescribed.

Ross, J. and B. M. Staw (1993). "Organizational Escalation and Exit: Lessons from the Shoreham Nuclear Power Plant." Academy of Management Journal 36(4): 701-732.