Goldilocks principle

Goldilocks principle refers to a concept in medicine, biology, and psychology where something must fall within certain margins, as opposed to reaching extremes. The principle is named after the children's story The Three Bears, in which a little girl named Goldilocks tastes three different bowls of porridge, and she finds that she prefers porridge which is neither too hot nor too cold, but has just the right temperature. Since the children's story is well known across cultures, the concept of "just the right amount" is easily understood and is easily applied to a wide array of disciplines.

Medicine and Biology

In medicine and biology, the Goldilocks principle is applied in two ways: the survival of organisms in an ecosystem and the internal homeostasis of an organism.

Ecosystem

In an ecosystem, the Goldilocks principle is associated with the survival of an organism due to the "just right" conditions of its environment. If the environment is too extreme in any condition such as temperature, humidity, or lack of resources, the organism cannot survive. This principle is also applied in the search for extraterrestrial life, particularly in the concept of the Goldilocks Zone.

Homeostasis

In the internal homeostasis of an organism, the Goldilocks principle applies to the balance of any physiological system such as body temperature, pH of extracellular fluid, and the concentrations of sodium, potassium and calcium ions.

Psychology

In psychology, the Goldilocks principle applies to the phenomenon that humans are most comfortable when experiencing stimuli that are "just right". This principle is used in various fields such as ergonomics, economics, and pedagogy.

See also

• Goldilocks Zone
• Homeostasis
• Ecosystem

References

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  Illustration of the Three Bears from "The Story of the Three Bears"

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  The Goldilocks Effect: Human Infants Allocate Attention to Visual Sequences