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How Can Selection Logic Be Tested? - Selection Logic

A validation view: define scope, check coherence, and measure outcomes like regret and need-consistency.

Selection Logic Team · 2026-01-19
#Selection Logic #theoretical foundation #theory validation #falsifiability #methodology #outcome metrics

Abstract

Selection Logic claims are meaningful only if they can be tested. This article outlines a validation approach aligned with scientific norms: define scope, test internal coherence, and measure outcomes across repeated decisions.[^1]


1. Scope: where should we expect gains?

Selection Logic is most relevant when:
- stakes are medium/high,
- reversibility is low,
- information asymmetry is high,
- persuasion pressure is high.


2. Coherence: do theorems contradict?

The theory stack should remain consistent:
- axioms constrain claims,
- theorems derive from axioms,
- corollaries derive from theorems.


3. Outcomes: what to measure?

Practical outcome metrics:
- regret rate (self-report + behavior),
- need-consistencyNeed consistency,
- fit score stabilityFit score,
- selection efficacySelection efficacy.


4. Falsifiability and iteration

A method that does not improve outcomes for a decision class should be revised or rejected—this is the point of A3 (improvability) and validation.[^1]


References

  1. Popper, K. R. (1959). The Logic of Scientific Discovery. Routledge. (Original work published 1935)[source]
  2. Simon, H. A. (1955). A behavioral model of rational choice. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 69(1), 99–18.[source]
  3. Berlin, I. (1969). Four Essays on Liberty. Oxford University Press.[source]
  4. Alba, J. W., & Hutchinson, J. W. (1987). Dimensions of consumer expertise. Journal of Consumer Research, 13(4), 411–54.[source]
  5. Ericsson, A., & Pool, R. (2016). Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.[source]
  6. Iyengar, S. S., & Lepper, M. R. (2000). When choice is demotivating: Can one desire too much of a good thing? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79(6), 995–006.[source]
  7. Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking, Fast and Slow. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.[source]

Further Reading


Further Reading