Selection for Existential Stabilization (SES): A Behavioral–Systems Selection Functional for Market Persistence

Selection for Existential Stabilization (SES): A Behavioral–Systems Selection Functional for Market Persistence | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Selection for Existential Stabilization (SES): A Behavioral–Systems Selection Functional for Market Persistence Seyed Kiarash Sadat Rafiei, mahsa asadi anar This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8205421/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Markets are not only mechanisms of price formation; they are selection environments in which competing architectures of meaning and cooperation contend for persistence. We introduce Selection for Existential Stabilization (SES), a behavioural–systems selection functional defined by two primitives: existential instability \(\:{\Delta\:}{\Psi\:}\) , the option’s contribution to interpretive fragility and narrative churn; and cooperative capacity \(\:C\) , its ability to support trust, compatibility, and coordinated action. These combine into a stabilization score \(\:S\left(M\right)=-{\Delta\:}{\Psi\:}\left(M\right)+\alpha\:C\left(M\right)\) , which predicts both micro-level choice behaviour and meso-level diffusion and retention. A process interpretation shows how lower \(\:{\Delta\:}{\Psi\:}\) and higher \(\:C\) compress decision uncertainty and reduce reversals; embedding \(\:S\left(M\right)\) into simple selection and diffusion dynamics demonstrates how small stabilization advantages accumulate into long-run market persistence. We propose operational indices for both primitives, coherence measures, interoperability indicators, governance transparency, and friction audits, and introduce Narrative Churn as an early-warning signal of behavioural decay. The framework yields falsifiable implications for adoption, retention, and stability across products, platforms, and policies. SES is mathematically lightweight yet structurally strong: it offers a unified mechanism linking meaning, cooperation, and market persistence. market persistence existential instability cooperative capacity behavioral economics selection dynamics coordination and networks diffusion and retention Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Persistence","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"market persistence, existential instability, cooperative capacity, behavioral economics, selection dynamics, coordination and networks, diffusion and retention","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8205421/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8205421/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eMarkets are not only mechanisms of price formation; they are selection environments in which competing architectures of meaning and cooperation contend for persistence. We introduce \u003cem\u003eSelection for Existential Stabilization\u003c/em\u003e (SES), a behavioural\u0026ndash;systems selection functional defined by two primitives: existential instability \u003cspan class=\"InlineEquation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mathinline\"\u003e\\(\\:{\\Delta\\:}{\\Psi\\:}\\)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e, the option\u0026rsquo;s contribution to interpretive fragility and narrative churn; and cooperative capacity \u003cspan class=\"InlineEquation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mathinline\"\u003e\\(\\:C\\)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e, its ability to support trust, compatibility, and coordinated action. These combine into a stabilization score \u003cspan class=\"InlineEquation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mathinline\"\u003e\\(\\:S\\left(M\\right)=-{\\Delta\\:}{\\Psi\\:}\\left(M\\right)+\\alpha\\:C\\left(M\\right)\\)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e, which predicts both micro-level choice behaviour and meso-level diffusion and retention.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA process interpretation shows how lower \u003cspan class=\"InlineEquation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mathinline\"\u003e\\(\\:{\\Delta\\:}{\\Psi\\:}\\)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003eand higher \u003cspan class=\"InlineEquation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mathinline\"\u003e\\(\\:C\\)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003ecompress decision uncertainty and reduce reversals; embedding \u003cspan class=\"InlineEquation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mathinline\"\u003e\\(\\:S\\left(M\\right)\\)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003einto simple selection and diffusion dynamics demonstrates how small stabilization advantages accumulate into long-run market persistence. We propose operational indices for both primitives, coherence measures, interoperability indicators, governance transparency, and friction audits, and introduce \u003cem\u003eNarrative Churn\u003c/em\u003e as an early-warning signal of behavioural decay. The framework yields falsifiable implications for adoption, retention, and stability across products, platforms, and policies. SES is mathematically lightweight yet structurally strong: it offers a unified mechanism linking meaning, cooperation, and market persistence.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Selection for Existential Stabilization (SES): A Behavioral–Systems Selection Functional for Market Persistence","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-12-01 18:44:00","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8205421/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"0e8f3a07-34b2-4bbb-9b6d-29dbb17633c6","owner":[],"postedDate":"December 1st, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-02-17T14:56:43+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-12-01 18:44:00","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-8205421","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-8205421","identity":"rs-8205421","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}