Cognitive Scaffold

Preparing your thinking workspace

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MENTAL MODEL · M3891

Bruce Effect

Bruce Effect
BehaviorHigh supportEvolutionary Psychology
Included
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Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-30

CORE DEFINITION

The phenomenon in which a female mammal spontaneously terminates pregnancy (miscarriage) when encountering an unfamiliar male early in pregnancy. This is an adaptive evolutionary strategy to ensure that offspring are as likely as possible to carry the genes of a stronger male.

SCAFFOLDING EFFECT

psychology

Reduce cognitive load

Environmental reset mechanism. In the face of major environmental changes (such as new leadership, new technology, new markets), organizations or individuals sometimes need to proactively 'reset' (discontinue existing projects, abandon sunk costs) to avoid going further in the wrong direction.

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Anchor fast decisions

The Bruce effect refers to the phenomenon where a female mouse, upon exposure to the odor of an unfamiliar male after conception, may undergo pregnancy block (resorption/miscarriage). It is an evolutionary mechanism to avoid mating with unfamiliar males and protect one's own genes.

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Source support: Explicit

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    zh.wikipedia.orghttps://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%B8%83%E9%B2%81%E6%96%AF%E6%95%88%E5%BA%94ZH · Explicit
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