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Doherty threshold 0:36
A 36-second explainer of Doherty threshold, narrated over the same demo you can try yourself.
Try the interactive Doherty threshold demo
What this video covers
The Doherty threshold is the point - around 400 milliseconds - below which a system's response feels instant and keeps you in flow. Cross it and attention wanders: people doubt, re-check and disengage, even when the result is identical.
You waved the quick responses straight through, then started calling them laggy long before a full second had passed. That line, near 400 milliseconds, is the Doherty threshold: under it an interface feels like an extension of your thought; over it, you notice the wait and begin to doubt.
