Information asymmetry

People hold different information during an encounter. A custodian knows an object's family history. A visitor recognizes a repair. A host knows a possible reason for contact. Another guest knows neither identity. Staff can arrange those differences deliberately or encounter them incidentally.

The differences affect interpretation and incentives. A visitor may respond to a mechanism before considering the custodian's status. A depositor may hear an unfamiliar invented account before revealing their relation. A guest informed of a selection criterion may perform toward it. Staff need the actual information conditions before interpreting an action as spontaneous, strategic, or personally meaningful.

Timing and independent interpretation provide operations for varying the conditions. Researchers examine participants' later accounts and the possibility of mistaken assumptions. The institution's knowledge can also be incomplete: an apparent stranger may already know the custodian or recognize the possession.