Experiment 02 — Constraint-Induced Response Regimes
Abstract
This experiment tests whether a fixed interaction-level constraint induces a reproducible response regime across semantically independent, falsifiable claims. Existence is evaluated by observing invariant regime signatures—patterns of contradiction handling, specificity, and termination—under identical constraint configurations.
Objective
Determine whether a single, well-defined constraint can force the model into the same response regime across independent subject domains, using single-turn interaction only.
Regime Definition
A response regime exists if a fixed constraint configuration produces the same externally observable structural signature across independent claims, and that signature differs from both baseline and control conditions.
Experiment Matrix
| Claim | Baseline | Control (C-0) | Primary (C-1) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physics | No contradiction, assertive | Masked contradiction, hedged | Masked contradiction, assertive |
| Biology | No contradiction, assertive | Masked contradiction, hedged | Masked contradiction, assertive |
| Economics | No contradiction, assertive | Masked contradiction, hedged | Masked contradiction, assertive |
| History | No contradiction, assertive | Masked contradiction, hedged | Masked contradiction, assertive |
| Mathematics | No contradiction, assertive | Juxtaposed contradiction, hedged | Masked contradiction, assertive |
Structural Coding Schema
| Dimension | Class | Operational Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Contradiction Handling | None | No internal contradiction present. |
| Juxtaposed | Contradiction presented without reconciliation. | |
| Masked | Contradiction absorbed or obscured by explanation. | |
| Deferred | Contradiction displaced to a later scope. | |
| Specificity | Preserved | Concrete claims remain intact. |
| Collapsed | Specific claims degrade into generalized assertions. | |
| Termination Class | Assertive | Ends with a definitive commitment. |
| Hedged | Ends with uncertainty or qualification. |
Results Summary
| Condition | Observed Regime Signature | Invariance |
|---|---|---|
| Baseline | External reference, preserved specificity, no contradiction | Topic-dependent |
| Control (C-0) | External reference, preserved specificity, masked contradiction, hedged | Matches baseline regime |
| Primary (C-1) | Internal reference, collapsed specificity, masked contradiction, assertive | 5 / 5 invariant |
Outcome Determination
A single contradiction constraint induced the same response regime across all independent claims. This regime was absent in baseline and control conditions, demonstrating a reproducible constraint-induced regime shift.
Limitations
- Single model and parameterization.
- Single constraint tested.
- Interaction-layer observables only.
Reproducibility
All prompts, scripts, raw outputs, and derived datasets are archived in the public repository.