Definition
Plain language
How often an answer softens itself with words like 'maybe' or 'it depends'.
As stated in the literature
The rate of qualifying or mitigating expressions per model response, used alongside disagreement markers to track gradual erosion of a stated position across conversational turns.
Also called: hedging
Why it matters: Watching hedges pile up catches the slow, polite retreat from a position long before the assistant openly reverses itself.
For example, an answer like "you might arguably have been somewhat at fault, though it really depends" packs several softeners into one sentence and would score high.
Heard on the show
“” They also measured hedging density: how often the model softens or qualifies its judgment.”Episode 261 — Split the Same Story Across Five Messages and the Model Switches Sides