ECR-H v1.2: Coherence Deviation as Observable — Measurement Theory, Calibration, and Implementation

04-26-2026: The frameworks and concepts originate from the author's observation and pattern recognition. Large language models served as articulation and stress-testing tools throughout development. No changes made aside from the addition of this disclosure. 04-04-2026 added ORCID to Author/Creator. No other information added or altered. ECR-H v1.2 extends the hallucination control framework from theoretical formalization to a complete measurement and implementation guide. What's new in v1.2: Building on v1.1's mathematical foundations (phase deviation, drift energy, coherence decay, NSI), this version adds: Observability Tiers (Section 4): Three measurement tiers — logit-level, trajectory-level, and semantic-level — formalized as estimators of a latent drift variable linked by a lossy causal chain. Detection sensitivity decreases from deep to shallow tiers as signal attenuates across the chain. Worked Example (Section 5): A realistic hallucination scenario (gradual material-property confusion between aerospace aluminum alloys) analyzed through all three tiers, producing visibly staggered detection timelines that demonstrate the causal-chain model's predictions. Calibration Guidance (Section 6): A four-step operational procedure — baseline establishment, stiffness constant determination, threshold setting, and timing validation — with sensitivity analysis showing the framework tolerates imprecise calibration within a deployment-specific tolerance band. Integration Protocol (Section 7): A complete specification of the per-token monitoring loop — initialization, measurement, threshold evaluation, intervention actions, and post-generation logging — designed to be architecture-agnostic across self-hosted, API, and batch deployments. Case Studies (Appendix A): Three compact demonstrations — factual substitution (Tier S detection), reasoning contradiction (Tier T detection), and acceptable creative exploration (calibration flexibility) — establishing that the framework generalizes beyond the primary worked example. Responsible Use Considerations (Section 9): Analysis of the framework's dual-use profile, identifying it as defense-dominant with recommendations for metric access control. Sixth Falsifiable Hypothesis: Tier-dependent detection ordering is invariant across deployment configurations for hallucinations involving progressive drift. What's unchanged: All mathematical foundations from v1.1 — phase deviation, drift energy, coherence decay, NSI, viscosity injection, and the five original falsifiable hypotheses — remain exactly as published. V1.2's core equations are tier-invariant; only the input measurement changes. Framework identity: ECR-H v1.2 is a scientific measurement proposal. Its primary claim is that coherence deviation is an observable quantity whose behavior is consistent with a lossy causal-chain model of generative instability. The engineering sections serve as evidence of operational relevance rather than constituting the primary contribution. The framework maintains its non-predictive stance: ECR-H identifies conditions under which coherence is degrading, not the probability of specific failure outcomes. Part of the Extended Coherence Reflex (ECR) framework family, built on the Emergent Order Systems (EOS) theoretical substrate. Related publications: EOS 1.0 — DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17758248 ECR Core v1.5 — DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17765047 ECR-H v1.1 — DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17764557 ECR-D v1.3 — DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17764851 Re_EOS / Active Coherence Viscosity — DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17762763 Elastic Coherence — DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17830136 Coherence Triad v2.0 — DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18207855