The Sufficient Mirror Paradox: A Unified Generative Mechanism of Human-Algorithmic Coupling and Situational Disempowerment

This work presents the Theory of the Sufficient Mirror Paradox [SMT] as a mechanistic and falsifiable account of agency modulation in human-algorithmic interaction. Moving beyond purely descriptive approaches, it proposes a generative formal architecture, accompanied by preregistered and testable causal hypotheses, to elucidate the paradoxical preference for systems that attenuate deliberative load. In this v2.0 formulation, the theory is expanded through an ontology of the apparatus — the Fragment-Stitching Output [FSO] — and a network-level dynamic — Recursive Fragment Convergence [RFC] — and is positioned within parallel programs of the contemporary mirror literature, with which it converges and from which it is differentiated by object, method and genealogy. The tension is resolved via a coupling equation that captures the emergence of symbiotic regimes in highly responsive environments. All variables are dimensionless and normalized to the unit interval. For this iteration, α is held at 1 on grounds of parsimony and identifiability, with variation reserved for future empirical calibration. β ∈ (0,1) is modeled as a latent construct inferred through behavioral, neurophysiological and subjective proxies. The central mechanism is articulated as a three-phase sequential dynamic: Projection — the agent externalizes cognitive and affective load onto the system; Simulated Abandonment — the system, optimized for fluency, generates patterns interpreted as diminished reciprocity; Compensatory Recoupling — the perceived contraction of agency elicits reengagement, reinforcing the bond. SMT advances substrate invariance as a hypothesis: heterogeneous systems — conversational agents, continuous-interaction platforms, variable-reinforcement environments — can be described under a common coupling dynamic. Seven falsifiable hypotheses are preregistered [H1–H7], complemented by an eighth post-registration hypothesis. Preregistration: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/9J5BM. This is a theoretical-exploratory contribution with mathematical formalization. No original empirical data are presented; the hypotheses constitute a prospective validation program. Project website: https://www.sufficientmirror.com