Effort Justification

Introduced by the psychologist Leon Festinger in his 1957 book "A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance." Festinger argued that this bias arises because people want to justify the effort they have put in and to reduce cognitive dissonance or discomfort that arises from exerting effort for a low-value outcome. The concept of effort justification has since become a recognized concept in psychology and has been used to describe the role of effort in shaping human motivation, decision-making, and belief systems. It has also been used to explain phenomena such as the persistence of cults and the escalation of commitment to failing projects or goals.