Weighted Cohesion Score for Decision Making

The Weighted Cohesion Score (WCS) is a decision-making framework derived from and extending the author’s Hoffman–Joyce Continuum (HJC). It models choices as coherence-preserving or coherence-degrading events by evaluating how an action aligns with three core components:

• Fit — contextual alignment between the action and the agent’s values, constraints, and environment

• Phase — temporal and emotional synchronicity with the agent’s current trajectory

• Dissolution (D) — the intrinsic destabilizing potential of the action

WCS combines these weighted components into a single composite score:

WCS = (wF·F + wP·P + wD·D) / (wF + wP + wD*)**

and introduces Dissolution Risk (DR):

DR = λ·D + (1−λ)·(1 − WCS)

where higher DR indicates greater risk of post-decision psychological breakdown, instability, or loss of agency continuity. The model is intentionally lightweight and practical, suitable for introspection, behavioral analysis, and real-world decision support.

This paper includes:

• Formal definitions of Fit, Phase, and Dissolution

• The WCS and DR equations

• A High-Dissolution Veto rule for identifying dangerous branches

• Conceptual underpinnings in perceptual interface theory

• Examples illustrating how WCS can be applied to personal, interpersonal, and organizational decisions

The WCS framework functions as an applied extension of the HJC, designed to offer individuals and researchers a coherent, minimally mathematical tool for evaluating choices under uncertainty while preserving long-term stability of the self.