Scientific Definition
We judge probability by how similar an event is to a prototype.
Plain-English Definition
We judge probability by how similar an event is to a prototype.
Feynman Explanation
It looks like a duck, so we assume it is a duck.
Core Principle
We judge probability by how similar an event is to a prototype.
Mechanisms
Pending editorial review.
We judge probability by how similar an event is to a prototype.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Stereotypes and prototypes drive hiring and investment decisions.
Inputs (Triggers)
Pending editorial review.
Outputs (Behaviors)
Pending editorial review.
Behavioral Signature
It looks like a duck, so we assume it is a duck.
Examples
- Assuming a well-dressed candidate is more competent.
- Stereotypes and prototypes drive hiring and investment decisions.
Pending editorial review.
Famous Experiments
Pending editorial review.
Design Principles
- Look for base rates and direct evidence, not just resemblance.
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.
- Look for base rates and direct evidence, not just resemblance.
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.
Small advantages, applied consistently, become uncatchable.
How much we value the present over the future.
How vividly we connect to our future self predicts long-term decision quality.
An automatic action triggered by a stable cue — built through repetition.
A single habit whose adoption cascades into many other behavior changes.
Creative work needs blocks of hours; managerial work runs on 30-minute slices. They destroy each other when mixed.
Where you can go is constrained by where you've been.
A present-bias kink (β) on top of exponential discounting (δ): immediate rewards get a bonus, all future rewards trade normally.
People preferentially process experience visually, auditorily, or kinesthetically. Match the channel; match the mind.
H1 (managing the present) + H2 (transition mechanisms) + H3 (transformative futures) held simultaneously.
Our decisions are influenced by when events occur or when we evaluate them.
Pre-allocate every hour to a category before the day starts.