Criterion Dependence of Success: How the Same Outcome Can Succeed Under One Rule and Fail Under Another

This conceptual paper introduces Criterion Dependence of Success, the mechanism by which the same outcome meets one success rule and fails another. It examines how judgments of success depend on the criterion applied and how disagreements about criteria can be mistaken for disagreements about what happened. The account distinguishes the outcome, the success rule, and the resulting judgment. It applies where parties agree about the outcome but use different criteria. A claim of success is assessed by whether it states its criterion and whether that criterion is appropriate to the purpose the claim serves. The paper relates the mechanism to Herbert Simon’s account of aspiration levels and discusses studies mapping state academic proficiency standards onto a common national scale. The approximate mapping illustrates criterion dependence in aggregate. It does not establish how the same student would perform on different state tests or that national achievement levels are more valid. Part of the Relational Conditions and Dynamics series within On Human Modeling, the paper offers questions for identifying evaluation rules, comparing judgments under alternative criteria, and examining who sets the standard. The framework can inform human–AI evaluation when the same output or performance record meets one standard and fails another.