I've recently read the book on UI usability [1], were the author states that after ten years of performing user evaluations and studies, he can assert that "people stick to the first thing that works".
Maybe that's the reason behind this aversion to change.
Another idea is that it's an instantiation of the Innovators Dilemma?
http://www.amazon.com/The-Innovators-Dilemma-Revolutionary-Essentials/dp/006...
What he shows in the book is that if you ask your customers, they never want change. But your competitor (especially new one) that does not listen to your customers and does exactly what they where against will in the end take all your business.
Because the people that where against all change have no problem to abandon the unchaning thing when something better comes along.
Requesting "no change" will *not* give you layality. "You did not want change so you can't now use the better new stuff, you have to stay with the system you *requested* to stay as it is". No. The exact same people that request "no change" will move to the better, too.
It's a real dilemma.
This book is ridiculous too. Nobody will ever want crappy digital camera only the real stuff. Digital camera are non-sense nobody will ever buy them. I want better quality for my "argentic" camera. Stef