Distinction bias

Biological Parallel

Side-by-side, honeybees reliably distinguish flowers with 20% versus 30% nectar concentration; experienced separately, both rate as 'acceptable,' and the difference vanishes. This follows optimal-foraging-theory: bumblebees and honeybees evolved receptor-sensing for comparative assessment using the marginal-value-theorem—is this flower worth more than the next? Joint evaluation magnifies differences through direct diet-selection comparison; separate evaluation relies on absolute thresholds. Evolution built comparative processors for simultaneous choices (two mates at the lek, adjacent territories), not sequential modern decisions. The bias reveals that 'better' requires context—your mind literally lacks hardware for context-free value assessment.