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The Incentives Lab
HBT-COG-0191 · Dimension COG · Cognition

Coolidge Effect

Renewed interest in a stimulus when a novel stimulus is introduced.

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

Scientific Definition

Renewed interest in a stimulus when a novel stimulus is introduced.

Plain-English Definition

Renewed interest in a stimulus when a novel stimulus is introduced.

Feynman Explanation

New options reawaken old appetites.

Core Principle

Renewed interest in a stimulus when a novel stimulus is introduced.

Mechanisms

Psychological

Pending editorial review.

Behavioral Economic

Renewed interest in a stimulus when a novel stimulus is introduced.

Neurological

Pending editorial review.

Evolutionary

Pending editorial review.

Sociological

Pending editorial review.

Computational

Pending editorial review.

Systems

Novelty re-energizes engagement, for better and worse.

Inputs (Triggers)

Pending editorial review.

Outputs (Behaviors)

Pending editorial review.

Behavioral Signature

New options reawaken old appetites.

Examples

Everyday
  • A team loses steam on a project until a new competitor enters the market.
Modern (Organizational)
  • Novelty re-energizes engagement, for better and worse.
Historical

Pending editorial review.

Famous Experiments

Pending editorial review.

Design Principles

  • Introduce small novelties to sustain momentum without constant pivots.

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
Novelty re-energizes engagement, for better and worse.
Amplifying Incentives
Novelty re-energizes engagement, for better and worse.
Org Failure Modes
Novelty re-energizes engagement, for better and worse.
Societal Failure Modes
Pending editorial review (HBT v1.0 auto-seed).
Ethical Considerations
Pending editorial review (HBT v1.0 auto-seed).
Redesign Strategies
Introduce small novelties to sustain momentum without constant pivots.
Diagnostic Questions
  • Introduce small novelties to sustain momentum without constant pivots.
Warning Signs

Pending editorial review.

Red Flags

Pending editorial review.

Intervention Playbook
Individual
Introduce small novelties to sustain momentum without constant pivots.
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-0191 · COG
Coolidge Effect
CEAPAbilene ParadoxADActon's DictumABActor-Observer BiasALAffinity / Liking BiasAlAltruismAsAstroturfingAPAttitude PolarizationABAttribution BiasBEBarnum EffectBJBecause Justification

Knowledge Graph Neighbors

Version History

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