# response (behavioral)

a change that occurs after a difference and interacts with a part

- Computed level: L5 (depth in the emergence graph, not abstraction)
- Status: review  ·  Domain: common  ·  Arena: everyday

## Emergence
**Emerges from:** [change](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-change.process), [difference](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-difference.relation), [interaction](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-interaction.process), [occurs](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-occurs.event), [part](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-part.relation), [time](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-time.dimension), [interacting](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-interacting.social)

**Through:** When a difference initiates a change over time, and that change interacts with a part, a response emerges.

**Novel properties:**
- reaction to variation
- context-sensitive change
- temporal engagement

## Examples
- A thermostat switches the furnace on when room temperature drops below 20°C. *(engineering)*
- After the 2008 financial crash, the Federal Reserve lowered interest rates to stimulate lending. *(economics)*
- Bacteria in the gut multiply in response to dietary fiber intake, altering microbiome composition. *(biology)*

## Used by
- [answer](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-answer.solution) (L10)
- [thank](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-thank.social) (L11)

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*Canonical: https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-response.behavioral*  
*Structured data: https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-response.behavioral.json*  
*Every definition provably resolves to space, time, energy and pattern.*