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The Incentives Lab
HBT-COG-0119 · Dimension COG · Cognition

Calibration

Reading micro-shifts in another person's state — breath, color, micro-expression — in real time.

Cognition·Mental Model·Grade B·draft· enriching…

Scientific Definition

Reading micro-shifts in another person's state — breath, color, micro-expression — in real time.

Plain-English Definition

Reading micro-shifts in another person's state — breath, color, micro-expression — in real time.

Feynman Explanation

Most people listen to words. Calibration listens to everything else.

Core Principle

Reading micro-shifts in another person's state — breath, color, micro-expression — in real time.

Mechanisms

Psychological

Pending editorial review.

Behavioral Economic

Reading micro-shifts in another person's state — breath, color, micro-expression — in real time.

Neurological

Pending editorial review.

Evolutionary

Pending editorial review.

Sociological

Pending editorial review.

Computational

Pending editorial review.

Systems

Negotiation, sales, executive coaching.

Inputs (Triggers)

Pending editorial review.

Outputs (Behaviors)

Pending editorial review.

Behavioral Signature

Most people listen to words. Calibration listens to everything else.

Examples

Everyday
  • Core NLP skill; overlaps Paul Ekman's micro-expression research.
Modern (Organizational)
  • Negotiation, sales, executive coaching.
Historical

Pending editorial review.

Famous Experiments

Pending editorial review.

Design Principles

  • Establish a baseline in the first 60 seconds. Then watch for deltas.

Measurement Approaches

Pending editorial review.

Evidence

Evidence Grade
B (A strongest → E speculative)
Replication
★★★☆☆
Intervention Confidence
3 / 5
Consensus
Pending editorial review (HBT v1.0 auto-seed).
Limitations
Pending editorial review (HBT v1.0 auto-seed).
Open Research Questions

Pending editorial review.

Primary References

Pending editorial review.

Signature Section

The Perverse Incentive Lens™

How this behavior is exploited — and how to redesign around it.

Exploitation
Negotiation, sales, executive coaching.
Amplifying Incentives
Negotiation, sales, executive coaching.
Org Failure Modes
Negotiation, sales, executive coaching.
Societal Failure Modes
Pending editorial review (HBT v1.0 auto-seed).
Ethical Considerations
Pending editorial review (HBT v1.0 auto-seed).
Redesign Strategies
Establish a baseline in the first 60 seconds. Then watch for deltas.
Diagnostic Questions
  • Establish a baseline in the first 60 seconds. Then watch for deltas.
Warning Signs

Pending editorial review.

Red Flags

Pending editorial review.

Intervention Playbook
Individual
Establish a baseline in the first 60 seconds. Then watch for deltas.
Team
Pending editorial review (HBT v1.0 auto-seed).
Organization
Pending editorial review (HBT v1.0 auto-seed).
Policy
Pending editorial review (HBT v1.0 auto-seed).
AI Implications
Detection
Pending editorial review (HBT v1.0 auto-seed).
Measurement
Pending editorial review (HBT v1.0 auto-seed).
Mitigation
Pending editorial review (HBT v1.0 auto-seed).
Responsible Use
Pending editorial review (HBT v1.0 auto-seed).

Interactive Mini Network

Click any neighbor to re-center the graph and follow the threads of connection.

HBT-COG-0119 · COG
Calibration
CaEMExtended MindEAEye Accessing CuesInInteroceptionPCPrefrontal CortexPrProprioceptionReReframingSuSubmodalitiesSuSuggestibilityTEThought ExperimentRu10/10/10 Rule

Knowledge Graph Neighbors

Auto-linked to the rest of the Human Behavior Taxonomy by family, domain, dimension, and shared keywords.

Version History

v1.1.0 · 2026-06-28Initial auto-seed from corpus.