Human-in-the-loop
HITL and the Reciprocity Problem: Why Reviewer Decisions Bias Toward the Customer Even When Policy Suggests Otherwise
HITL and the Reciprocity Problem: Why Reviewer Decisions Bias Toward the Customer Even When Policy Suggests Otherwise
Reviewers show customers mercy. The policy says reject, the reviewer approves with a note. The policy says escalate, the reviewer reassures. Reviewers don't apply policy neutrally — they apply policy with an unconscious tilt toward the customer's side. The reciprocity problem is the most pervasive reviewer bias in HITL, and the most invisible. Here is how it manifests, why it matters, and how to design for it.