Scientific Definition
'Free' is a different psychological category — disproportionately attractive.
Plain-English Definition
'Free' is a different psychological category — disproportionately attractive.
Feynman Explanation
$0.01 and $0 are not adjacent prices.
Core Principle
'Free' is a different psychological category — disproportionately attractive.
Mechanisms
Pending editorial review.
'Free' is a different psychological category — disproportionately attractive.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Pricing tiers, freemium, and trial design all hinge on the zero-price discontinuity.
Inputs (Triggers)
Pending editorial review.
Outputs (Behaviors)
Pending editorial review.
Behavioral Signature
$0.01 and $0 are not adjacent prices.
Examples
- Choosing free Hershey's over discounted Lindt, even when the math says otherwise.
- Pricing tiers, freemium, and trial design all hinge on the zero-price discontinuity.
Pending editorial review.
Famous Experiments
Pending editorial review.
Design Principles
- Don't price-anchor around zero by accident. Decide whether 'free' is a strategy or a leak.
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.
- Don't price-anchor around zero by accident. Decide whether 'free' is a strategy or a leak.
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.
A color appears different depending on adjacent colors.
The ability to focus on one voice in a noisy environment.
Evaluations are warped by what came immediately before.
We spend less when holding large bills than small ones — same money, different behavior.
One new possession spirals into a cascade of complementary purchases.
Selling winners too early and holding losers too long.
We overweight one aspect of an event when predicting its impact.
One negative trait taints judgment of everything else about a person or company.
Evaluated separately, the smaller-but-complete option beats the larger-but-flawed one.
Goals become the focus, sometimes at the expense of the underlying purpose.
How will I feel about this in 10 minutes / 10 months / 10 years?
Inattention or forgetfulness caused by low attention, hyperfocus, or distraction.