# Appendix A: Recursive Pattern Lexicon for Insurance Fraud This lexicon outlines key recursive linguistic patterns observed in fraudulent insurance claims. Each entry includes a **name**, **definition**, and **common linguistic markers**. --- ### 1. Narrative Overcontrol **Definition:** Excessive effort to manage the flow and precision of the story, often signaling anxiety or rehearsed fabrication. **Markers:** - Overuse of timestamps (“At exactly 3:07 PM…”) - Highly structured sequences (“First… Then… Finally…”) - Repeated self-correction mid-sentence --- ### 2. Empathic Bypass **Definition:** Failure to acknowledge emotional resonance or human impact, especially when such acknowledgment would be expected. **Markers:** - Clinical or distant tone (“The subject proceeded to fall.”) - Avoidance of “I felt” or “They looked” statements - Descriptive flatness in scenes involving harm or distress --- ### 3. Temporal Drift **Definition:** Shifting or vague timelines, often introduced subtly to obscure sequencing or causality. **Markers:** - “Sometime later…” - Ambiguous connectors (“and then,” “after that”) - Time gaps with no transition --- ### 4. Claimant Displacement **Definition:** Shifting responsibility or focus from the claimant to external systems, agents, or vague forces. **Markers:** - Passive voice (“It was handled by someone else.”) - Deflection to bureaucracy or error (“The form was confusing.”) - Focus on institutional failure rather than personal experience --- ### 5. Overjustification **Definition:** Unnecessary detail used to rationalize or justify behavior beyond the level of inquiry. **Markers:** - “I only did it because…” - Premature defenses (“You might think I’m lying, but…”) - Layered alibis --- ### 6. Hedged Truths **Definition:** Truths surrounded by uncertainty cues to maintain plausible deniability. **Markers:** - “I guess…”, “Maybe…”, “As far as I know…” - Rising intonation or tentativeness in written phrasing - Apologetic qualifiers --- ### 7. Denial Looping **Definition:** Recursive return to denial statements, often escalating or elaborating without provocation. **Markers:** - “I swear I didn’t…” (repeated multiple times) - Rejection of implication before it's introduced - Emphasis on moral character (“I’m not the kind of person who…”) --- This lexicon is a living framework. New patterns are emerging with each recursive forensic case study. We invite future analysts to contribute, extend, and refine.