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The Incentives Lab
HBT-COG-0445 · Dimension COG · Cognition

Linear Thinking

Expecting change to happen at a constant rate.

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

Scientific Definition

Expecting change to happen at a constant rate.

Plain-English Definition

Expecting change to happen at a constant rate.

Feynman Explanation

The future is not a straight line from the past.

Core Principle

Expecting change to happen at a constant rate.

Mechanisms

Psychological

Pending editorial review.

Behavioral Economic

Expecting change to happen at a constant rate.

Neurological

Pending editorial review.

Evolutionary

Pending editorial review.

Sociological

Pending editorial review.

Computational

Pending editorial review.

Systems

Linear projections miss compounding, saturation, and shocks.

Inputs (Triggers)

Pending editorial review.

Outputs (Behaviors)

Pending editorial review.

Behavioral Signature

The future is not a straight line from the past.

Examples

Everyday
  • Assuming revenue grows by the same percentage every quarter.
Modern (Organizational)
  • Linear projections miss compounding, saturation, and shocks.
Historical

Pending editorial review.

Famous Experiments

Pending editorial review.

Design Principles

  • Model nonlinear scenarios, including S-curves and step changes.

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
Linear projections miss compounding, saturation, and shocks.
Amplifying Incentives
Linear projections miss compounding, saturation, and shocks.
Org Failure Modes
Linear projections miss compounding, saturation, and shocks.
Societal Failure Modes
Pending editorial review (HBT v1.0 auto-seed).
Ethical Considerations
Pending editorial review (HBT v1.0 auto-seed).
Redesign Strategies
Model nonlinear scenarios, including S-curves and step changes.
Diagnostic Questions
  • Model nonlinear scenarios, including S-curves and step changes.
Warning Signs

Pending editorial review.

Red Flags

Pending editorial review.

Intervention Playbook
Individual
Model nonlinear scenarios, including S-curves and step changes.
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-0445 · COG
Linear Thinking
LTAbAbstractionsABAdaptive BiasABAdditive BiasAAAffirming a DisjunctADAgent DetectionARAlder's RazorAlAlgorithmsAMAll Models Are WrongABAllegiance BiasAFAnecdotal Fallacy

Knowledge Graph Neighbors

Version History

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