Empirical Signatures of Phenomenological Invariants and Irreversible Commitment

Read full text
Authors: Riaan de Beer
Cited by: 12
References: 7

Abstract

This work introduces empirically testable signatures for evaluating phenomenological invariants and irreversible commitments in systems that persist under irreversible time. Rather than relying on introspective access, internal representations, or subjective reports, the approach identifies observable structural markers with measurable consequences. Phenomenological invariants are indicated by necessity for coherence and by stability across contextual variation and perturbation. Irreversible commitments are indicated by asymmetric cost under attempted reversal and by the persistent inaccessibility of excluded alternatives. Together, these signatures provide a framework for experimentally probing theories of internal agreement and preference through behavioral and structural effects alone. The result is a methodology for empirical validation of foundational claims without assuming privileged access to internal semantics or experiential states.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Decision-Making and Behavioral Economics Embodied and Extended Cognition Child and Animal Learning Development

Publication details

Journal / source
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Publication date
11 February 2026
Language
EN
Document type
Preprint