关键词: 沉没成本效应, 人际互动, 面孔可信度, 行为可信度, 老化

Abstract:

Previous research on age-related differences in the sunk cost effect has predominantly concentrated on the influence of task characteristics and individual traits. The impact of relevant information in decision-making contexts, particularly the trustworthiness of interaction partners, has been largely overlooked. This study aims to examine how the trustworthiness of interaction partners impacts the sunk cost effect across different age groups, with a particular focus on how age-related differences are shaped by the types of trustworthiness information during various stages of interpersonal interactions. Based on two experiments, the results indicated that trustworthiness influenced the sunk cost effect in an age-dependent manner, with older adults encountering a greater sunk cost effect when interacting with highly trustworthy faces. Furthermore, the facial trustworthiness of interaction partners continues to influence older adults' sunk cost effect during interaction, whereas younger adults are primarily influenced by facial trustworthiness in the early stages and behavioral trustworthiness in later stages of interaction. This research emphasizes the significance of implementing tailored strategies for individuals across various age groups when designing information dissemination methods and decision support systems.

Key words: sunk cost effect, interpersonal interaction, facial trustworthiness, behavioral trustworthiness, aging