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The Incentives Lab
HBT-SYS-0012 · Dimension SYS · Systems

Equilibrium Behavior (Experimental)

Subjects often converge to neoclassical predictions only after many rounds of feedback — not on the first try.

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

Scientific Definition

Subjects often converge to neoclassical predictions only after many rounds of feedback — not on the first try.

Plain-English Definition

Subjects often converge to neoclassical predictions only after many rounds of feedback — not on the first try.

Feynman Explanation

Markets are rational eventually. Round one is a mess.

Core Principle

Subjects often converge to neoclassical predictions only after many rounds of feedback — not on the first try.

Mechanisms

Psychological

Pending editorial review.

Behavioral Economic

Subjects often converge to neoclassical predictions only after many rounds of feedback — not on the first try.

Neurological

Pending editorial review.

Evolutionary

Pending editorial review.

Sociological

Pending editorial review.

Computational

Pending editorial review.

Systems

Launching pricing, new comp plans, or new marketplace rules.

Inputs (Triggers)

Pending editorial review.

Outputs (Behaviors)

Pending editorial review.

Behavioral Signature

Markets are rational eventually. Round one is a mess.

Examples

Everyday
  • Camerer & Loewenstein: 'equilibrium' analyses use last-period data, not initial play.
Modern (Organizational)
  • Launching pricing, new comp plans, or new marketplace rules.
Historical

Pending editorial review.

Famous Experiments

Pending editorial review.

Design Principles

  • Plan for the learning curve. Don't judge a mechanism on its first cohort.

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
Launching pricing, new comp plans, or new marketplace rules.
Amplifying Incentives
Launching pricing, new comp plans, or new marketplace rules.
Org Failure Modes
Launching pricing, new comp plans, or new marketplace rules.
Societal Failure Modes
Pending editorial review (HBT v1.0 auto-seed).
Ethical Considerations
Pending editorial review (HBT v1.0 auto-seed).
Redesign Strategies
Plan for the learning curve. Don't judge a mechanism on its first cohort.
Diagnostic Questions
  • Plan for the learning curve. Don't judge a mechanism on its first cohort.
Warning Signs

Pending editorial review.

Red Flags

Pending editorial review.

Intervention Playbook
Individual
Plan for the learning curve. Don't judge a mechanism on its first cohort.
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-SYS-0012 · SYS
Equilibrium Behavior (Experimental)
EBAnAntifragilityBABehavioral Activatio…BIBehavioral Inhibitio…CLCausal Loop DiagramCAComplex Adaptive Sys…CAComplex Adaptive Sys…DLDouble-Loop LearningDTDual-System TheoryEcEcosystemEmEmergence

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.