For example, previous moves may well have a significant impact upon future incentives. Arguing hard against a particular solution tends to increase the political costs of accepting that solution later in the day. Having yielded to pressure on previous occasions tends to increase the political costs of making further concessions - while leading opponents to predict that more will be coming. What these examples have in common is that they refer to potential gains and losses that are generated by the process itself. Such stakes are often important premises for behaviour, and may well leave a significant imprint on the final outcome.
Most social processes are subject to a similar kind of dynamics.
In social systems there are multiple self-reinforcing mechanisms at work. One is known as momentum. Momentum plays a role in the establishment and maintenance of a wide range of social practices, from language to fashion. Its impact is, though, not necessarily positive. We cannot, however, specify precisely the circumstances in which they are turned on and off , nor their strength in different contexts.