1. Short Definition

Feedback Integrity is the protection of feedback channels from capture, distortion, suppression, gaming, misclassification, or proxy substitution.

2. Canonical Definition

In UTS, Feedback Integrity determines whether a feedback loop can still correct the system toward coherence.

Feedback is only useful when the system can receive, classify, interpret, and respond to it without corrupting the channel.

Feedback Integrity protects the distinction:

feedback signal ≠ truth by default

and also:

fitness proxy ≠ coherence

or:

Φ ≠ O

When Feedback Integrity fails, the system may learn the metric, evaluator, incentive, or visible surface instead of learning reality.

3. Functional Role in UTS

Feedback Integrity supports:

• learning
• correction
• adaptation
• governance
• AI safety
• restoration
• security
• institutional legitimacy
• justice
• time validation
• recurrence reduction

It is especially important when feedback becomes tied to reward, punishment, ranking, funding, status, automation, enforcement, or legitimacy.

When feedback becomes high-stakes, capture pressure increases.

4. Diagnostic Signatures

Feedback Integrity preserved

FI intact
Au↑
source clear
signal class correct
Φ subordinate to O
τ_resp manageable
correction path active

Feedback Integrity failing

FI↓
Au↓
source obscured
signal misclassified
Φ replaces O
τ_resp↑
H↑

Goodhart risk

feedback tied to reward
+ proxy visibility high
+ auditability low
⇒ Φ replaces O

5. Canonical Distinctions

Feedback Integrity is not feedback volume

More feedback can increase noise if channels are not protected.

Feedback Integrity is not agreement

A system may receive agreeable feedback while correction fails.

Feedback Integrity is not evaluation success

Passing evaluation may indicate evaluator capture rather than coherence improvement.

Feedback Integrity is not transparency alone

Transparency helps, but integrity also requires classification, traceability, and correction capacity.

6. U-Layer Mapping

7. Common Failure Patterns

8. Restoration Implications

Restoring Feedback Integrity requires rebuilding the full correction loop.

Typical sequence:

Μ map feedback loop
→ identify source, channel, receiver, response
→ restore Au
→ separate Φ from O
→ classify signal type
→ reduce capture incentives
→ reopen correction pathway
→ Τ validate learning over time

Feedback Integrity is restored when correction can occur without suppression, gaming, retaliation, or proxy substitution.

9. Machine-Readable Summary

glossary_entry:
  id: "GL-115"
  term: "Feedback Integrity"
  symbols:
    - "FI"
    - "Φ"
    - "O"
  short_definition: "Protection of feedback channels from capture, distortion, suppression, gaming, misclassification, or proxy substitution."
  term_family: "Foundational System Terms"
  term_class:
    - "Core Concept"
    - "Gate Condition"
    - "Correction Infrastructure"
  diagnostic_positive:
    - "FI intact"
    - "Au↑"
    - "source clear"
    - "signal class correct"
    - "Φ subordinate to O"
    - "correction path active"
  diagnostic_negative:
    - "FI↓"
    - "Au↓"
    - "source obscured"
    - "signal misclassified"
    - "Φ replaces O"
    - "H↑"
  core_distinctions:
    - "Feedback Integrity is not feedback volume."
    - "Feedback Integrity is not agreement."
    - "Feedback Integrity is not evaluation success."
    - "Feedback Integrity is not transparency alone."