Scientific Definition
When trivial metrics become the target, the trivial becomes the strategy.
Plain-English Definition
When trivial metrics become the target, the trivial becomes the strategy.
Feynman Explanation
We measured what was easy. So we did what was easy.
Core Principle
When trivial metrics become the target, the trivial becomes the strategy.
Mechanisms
When trivial metrics become the target, the trivial becomes the strategy.
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Inputs (Triggers)
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Outputs (Behaviors)
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Behavioral Signature
We measured what was easy. So we did what was easy.
Examples
- Engagement metrics tracked because they were measurable; outcomes ignored because they weren't.
- Operating system slowly optimized for ease of measurement, not value.
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Famous Experiments
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Design Principles
- Build the metric for the outcome, not the outcome for the metric.
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.
- Build the metric for the outcome, not the outcome for the metric.
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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.
Doing something feels safer than doing nothing — even when nothing wins.
Feelings act as shortcuts for facts.
Over-reliance on the first number that hits the table.
Adding a clearly worse option steers people toward the option you wanted.
Whatever is pre-selected wins more often than it should.
We value things more once they're ours.
The same information lands differently depending on how it's wrapped.
We disproportionately prefer rewards now over rewards later.
We overvalue things we built ourselves.
Believing more information leads to better decisions, regardless of relevance.
Losses hurt roughly twice as much as equivalent gains feel good.
We treat money differently depending on which bucket it's in.