The Applied Information Economics ideas are very reminiscent of decision tree algorithms. Would it be useful to try to extend the analogy and see if there's an extension of AIE that is like random forests?

Hanson's homo hypocritus idea may also be relevant. Perhaps, even subconsciously, people avoid measuring the dimensions or directions that will add a lot of info because they want to both (a) vociferously claim that they did measure stuff and the measures didn't help and (b) avoid any culpability for implementing changes they don't politically control, such as changes indicated by measuring very informative directions.

Just saying, a lot of people want to appear like they are productively exploring measures that yield changes and progress while tacitly sabotaging that very activity to retain political control over status quos.