Scientific Definition
Position in a hierarchy is a primary driver of behavior.
Plain-English Definition
Position in a hierarchy is a primary driver of behavior.
Feynman Explanation
People will trade money for rank and rank for almost nothing.
Core Principle
Position in a hierarchy is a primary driver of behavior.
Mechanisms
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Inputs (Triggers)
Pending editorial review.
Outputs (Behaviors)
Pending editorial review.
Behavioral Signature
People will trade money for rank and rank for almost nothing.
Examples
- Title inflation substitutes for raises during downturns.
- Status games quietly run the org chart underneath the formal one.
Pending editorial review.
Famous Experiments
Pending editorial review.
Design Principles
- Decouple recognition from rank; reward contribution, not position.
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.
- Decouple recognition from rank; reward contribution, not position.
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.
We defer to perceived expertise, rank, or uniform.
Membership in a group is a baseline human need.
We say yes more often to people we like.
Cooperation between unrelated agents when future reciprocity is likely.
Stored social capital from prior behavior.
Things feel more valuable when supply or time is limited.
Unwritten rules that govern behavior in a group.
Strong in-group loyalty paired with out-group skepticism.
Shared identity ('we') drives compliance harder than shared interest.
Clear ownership of outcomes, not just tasks.
Asymmetric information attracts the worst counterparties.
Vastness that exceeds existing schemas dissolves the self briefly.