Filtered dossier

reference points

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    Cognitive Bias Entry #0107

    Why the first number in a negotiation outlives the argument

    Both sides argue for an hour and land near the figure one of them said in the first minute. The argument was real. It was also decorative.

    Adept
    The hidden part #0107

    Anchoring is not the failure to move. It is that the whole conversation happened inside a region somebody else chose before it began.

    Open file
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    Paradox & Proof Entry #0166

    The reason abundance produces the feeling of scarcity

    Satisfaction is computed against a reference point, and the reference point moves with what is available. More can therefore leave the sensation unchanged.

    Adept
    The hidden part #0166

    Enough is measured against a baseline that is rebuilt from present conditions, so improvement moves the standard with it.

    Open file
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    Framing Effects Entry #0520

    The reason a benefit framed as recovering a loss converts better

    Stop losing four hours a week outperforms gain four hours a week. The hours are the same; only the position they are measured from has moved.

    Master
    The hidden part #0520

    The frame does not describe the offer. It installs the baseline the offer will be measured from, and repairs feel more urgent than upgrades.

    Open file
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    Cognitive Bias Entry #0122

    The reason a small loss hurts more than a larger gain pleases

    Outcomes are not evaluated against zero. They are evaluated against a reference point, and the slope below it is steeper than the slope above it.

    Adept
    The hidden part #0122

    Nothing is judged against zero. It is judged against wherever you last stood, and the ground below that point is steeper than the ground above.

    Open file
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    Reward Loops Entry #0606

    The reason free-to-play games give the best drops first

    The opening hour showers you with rare rewards. Their real job is to set a baseline the rest of the game will spend weeks failing to meet.

    Adept
    The hidden part #0606

    The generous first hour is not a gift. It is the yardstick every later hour will be measured short against.

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