Scientific Definition
Two options seen side-by-side look more different than they are in isolation.
Plain-English Definition
Two options seen side-by-side look more different than they are in isolation.
Feynman Explanation
Comparison amplifies differences that won't matter later.
Core Principle
Two options seen side-by-side look more different than they are in isolation.
Mechanisms
Pending editorial review.
Two options seen side-by-side look more different than they are in isolation.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Choice architecture distorts perceived differences.
Inputs (Triggers)
Pending editorial review.
Outputs (Behaviors)
Pending editorial review.
Behavioral Signature
Comparison amplifies differences that won't matter later.
Examples
- Agonizing between two job offers that will feel identical in six months.
- Choice architecture distorts perceived differences.
Pending editorial review.
Famous Experiments
Pending editorial review.
Design Principles
- Evaluate each option independently first.
Measurement Approaches
Pending editorial review.
Evidence
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
The Perverse Incentive Lens™
How this behavior is exploited — and how to redesign around it.
- Evaluate each option independently first.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
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.
Our perception is shaped by what we selectively pay attention to.
Favoring suggestions from automated systems over conflicting human judgment.
We choose more variety than we'll actually want when picking for the future all at once.
We overestimate the intensity and duration of emotional reactions.
Judging a decision by its outcome rather than by the quality of the process.
How will I feel about this in 10 minutes / 10 months / 10 years?
Inattention or forgetfulness caused by low attention, hyperfocus, or distraction.
Forgetting to compare an offer with the next-best alternative.
Outcomes that could have happened but did not.
Overthinking a situation so that decision-making stalls.
The first number on the table silently sets the range for every number after it.
Tversky & Kahneman's classic: identical outcomes flip from 'risk averse' to 'risk seeking' when framed as lives saved vs. lives lost.