Scientific Definition
We defer to perceived expertise, rank, or uniform.
Plain-English Definition
We defer to perceived expertise, rank, or uniform.
Feynman Explanation
A lab coat doubles the persuasion budget.
Core Principle
We defer to perceived expertise, rank, or uniform.
Mechanisms
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Inputs (Triggers)
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Outputs (Behaviors)
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Behavioral Signature
A lab coat doubles the persuasion budget.
Examples
- Patients accept dosing changes faster when 'the doctor said so.'
- Org charts route decisions through titles, not evidence.
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Famous Experiments
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Design Principles
- Separate the claim from the claimant; require sources, not credentials.
Measurement Approaches
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Evidence
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The Perverse Incentive Lens™
How this behavior is exploited — and how to redesign around it.
- Separate the claim from the claimant; require sources, not credentials.
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Interactive Mini Network
Click any neighbor to re-center the graph and follow the threads of connection.
Knowledge Graph Neighbors
Auto-linked to the rest of the Human Behavior Taxonomy by family, domain, dimension, and shared keywords.
Membership in a group is a baseline human need.
We say yes more often to people we like.
Cooperation between unrelated agents when future reciprocity is likely.
Stored social capital from prior behavior.
Things feel more valuable when supply or time is limited.
Unwritten rules that govern behavior in a group.
Position in a hierarchy is a primary driver of behavior.
Strong in-group loyalty paired with out-group skepticism.
Shared identity ('we') drives compliance harder than shared interest.
Clear ownership of outcomes, not just tasks.
Asymmetric information attracts the worst counterparties.
Vastness that exceeds existing schemas dissolves the self briefly.