want 'satisficer' to keep the original intended sense of "get X to at least this particular threshold value, and then don't worry about getting it any higher." I think controls point at... something I don't have a good word for yet, but 'proportioners' that try to put in effort appropriate to the level of error.

And yet, that's what they do. I mean, get X to a threshold value. It's just that X is the "distance to desired value", and we're trying to reduce X rather than increase it. Where things get interesting is that the system is simultaneously doing this for a lot of different perceptions, like keeping effort expenditure proportionate to reward.

if something needs to be done, then you need to try, because the effort is more important than the effect.

I don't understand this. People put forth effort in such a situation for various reasons, such as:

• Lack of absolute certainty the attempt will fail
• Embarassment at not being seen to try
• Belief they would be bad if they don't try

etc. It's not about "effort" or "effect" or maximizing or satisficing per se. It's just acting to reduce disturbances in current and predicted perceptions. Creating a new "proportioner" concept doesn't make sense to me, as there don't seem to be any leftover things to explain. It's enough to consider that living beings are simultaneously seeking homeostasis across a wide variety of present and predicted perceptual variables. (Including very abstract ones like "self-esteem" or "social status".)