Ken and Carla, an unmarried couple, have been living together for the past three years.They have made numerous decisions together such as splitting their finances, getting a dog, and buying furniture.Eventually, without making a conscious decision or commitment, the couple slide into marriage.In this scenario, the couple experiences the ________.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The couple experiences the inertia effect, which refers to the phenomenon where individuals continue in a behavior or situation because of the effort they have already invested, rather than making a conscious choice to continue. In this case, the couple may feel like they are already living like a married couple, so getting married seems like the next logical step, even if they never actively decided to do so.

Ken and Carla, an Unmarried Couple, Have Been Living Together