Which decision-making pitfall involves difficulty returning on a previously made decision?

The decision-making pitfall that involves difficulty returning on a previously made decision is Justify-Past-Actions. This phenomenon occurs when individuals feel compelled to defend or rationalize their earlier choices, making them reluctant to reconsider or reverse those decisions, even if new information suggests that a different choice would be more advantageous.

When an individual justifies their past actions, they often do so to maintain a consistent self-image or to avoid cognitive dissonance that arises from changing their minds. This commitment to their prior decisions can lead to a closed mindset, where flexibility and reassessment become challenging.

In contrast, the other options focus on different issues encountered in decision-making processes. Inferences and assumptions refer to the mental shortcuts taken without sufficient evidence, while anchoring relates to the reliance on initial information to make subsequent judgments. Vagueness and ambiguity pertain to unclear terms or concepts that can muddle decision-making clarity. Understanding these distinctions helps clarify why Justify-Past-Actions specifically addresses the challenge of altering previously made decisions.