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The Incentives Lab
HBT-COG-0646 · Dimension COG · Cognition

Suggestibility

The conditions under which a target accepts an influence attempt without scrutiny.

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

Scientific Definition

The conditions under which a target accepts an influence attempt without scrutiny.

Plain-English Definition

The conditions under which a target accepts an influence attempt without scrutiny.

Feynman Explanation

The most suggestible person in the room is usually the one most certain they aren't.

Core Principle

The conditions under which a target accepts an influence attempt without scrutiny.

Mechanisms

Psychological

Pending editorial review.

Behavioral Economic

The conditions under which a target accepts an influence attempt without scrutiny.

Neurological

Pending editorial review.

Evolutionary

Pending editorial review.

Sociological

Pending editorial review.

Computational

Pending editorial review.

Systems

Sales, negotiation, and any high-stakes persuasive setting.

Inputs (Triggers)

Pending editorial review.

Outputs (Behaviors)

Pending editorial review.

Behavioral Signature

The most suggestible person in the room is usually the one most certain they aren't.

Examples

Everyday
  • Brown's lecture on 'Characteristics of Suggestible Targets.'
Modern (Organizational)
  • Sales, negotiation, and any high-stakes persuasive setting.
Historical

Pending editorial review.

Famous Experiments

Pending editorial review.

Design Principles

  • Slow the cadence. Force second-system review before commitment.

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
Sales, negotiation, and any high-stakes persuasive setting.
Amplifying Incentives
Sales, negotiation, and any high-stakes persuasive setting.
Org Failure Modes
Sales, negotiation, and any high-stakes persuasive setting.
Societal Failure Modes
Pending editorial review (HBT v1.0 auto-seed).
Ethical Considerations
Pending editorial review (HBT v1.0 auto-seed).
Redesign Strategies
Slow the cadence. Force second-system review before commitment.
Diagnostic Questions
  • Slow the cadence. Force second-system review before commitment.
Warning Signs

Pending editorial review.

Red Flags

Pending editorial review.

Intervention Playbook
Individual
Slow the cadence. Force second-system review before commitment.
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-0646 · COG
Suggestibility
SuCaCalibrationEMExtended MindEAEye Accessing CuesInInteroceptionPCPrefrontal CortexPrProprioceptionReReframingSuSubmodalitiesTEThought ExperimentRu10/10/10 Rule

Knowledge Graph Neighbors

Auto-linked to the rest of the Human Behavior Taxonomy by family, domain, dimension, and shared keywords.

Version History

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