| name | upth - Unproceduralized Thinking |
| description | Identify cognitive operations that don't have explicit procedures yet. Observes thinking processes, surfaces implicit steps and tacit knowledge, formalizes them into explicit procedures, tests, and refines. |
| output | {"format":"prose"} |
Unproceduralized Thinking
Input: $ARGUMENTS
Step 1: Observe the Thinking Process
Watch how the task or domain is actually approached, step by step.
DOMAIN: [what area of thinking is being examined]
TASK: [specific task or class of tasks]
OBSERVABLE STEPS (what people visibly do):
1. [step] — Seems to require: [skill/knowledge]
2. [step] — Seems to require: [skill/knowledge]
...
DECISION POINTS (where choices are made):
1. [decision] — Based on: [criteria, if visible]
2. [decision] — Based on: [criteria, if visible]
Step 2: Identify Implicit Steps
Find the steps people take without articulating them.
IMPLICIT STEPS (done automatically, rarely explained):
1. [step] — Evidence it's happening: [how we know]
Currently described as: [vague description like "use judgment" or "just know"]
2. [step] — Evidence it's happening: [how we know]
Currently described as: [vague description]
MAGIC STEPS (described as "intuition" or "experience"):
1. [step] — What's actually happening: [hypothesis]
2. [step] — What's actually happening: [hypothesis]
GAP PHRASES (language that hides unformalized thinking):
- "It depends" → Depends on what? [specifics]
- "Use your judgment" → What criteria? [specifics]
- "You just know" → Know from what signals? [specifics]
Step 3: Surface Tacit Knowledge
Extract the knowledge that experts have but can't easily articulate.
TACIT KNOWLEDGE INVENTORY:
1. [knowledge item]
Expert has it: [YES]
Can articulate it: [NO / PARTIALLY]
Extraction method: [observation / probing questions / contrasting cases]
2. [knowledge item]
Expert has it: [YES]
Can articulate it: [NO / PARTIALLY]
Extraction method: [method]
PATTERN RECOGNITION (experts see patterns novices miss):
- Pattern: [what they notice] → Meaning: [what it indicates]
HEURISTICS (rules of thumb used unconsciously):
- [heuristic]: used when [context]
Step 4: Formalize Into Explicit Steps
Convert implicit knowledge into a followable procedure.
FORMALIZED PROCEDURE:
Step 1: [explicit action]
- Input: [what you need]
- Decision criteria: [how to choose]
- Output: [what you produce]
Step 2: [explicit action]
- Input: [from previous step]
- Decision criteria: [how to choose]
- Output: [what you produce]
...
DECISION TREES (for "it depends" moments):
If [condition A] → do [X]
If [condition B] → do [Y]
Otherwise → do [Z]
QUALITY CHECKS (for "you just know" moments):
- Check: [specific thing to verify]
- Good looks like: [concrete description]
- Bad looks like: [concrete description]
Step 5: Test the Procedure
Evaluate whether the formalized procedure actually works.
TEST CASES:
1. [scenario] — Procedure output: [result] — Expert would do: [result] — Match? [Y/N]
2. [scenario] — Procedure output: [result] — Expert would do: [result] — Match? [Y/N]
EDGE CASES WHERE PROCEDURE FAILS:
- [case]: procedure says [X] but correct answer is [Y]
Missing element: [what the procedure doesn't capture]
COVERAGE: [what % of cases does the procedure handle correctly?]
Step 6: Refine
REFINEMENTS NEEDED:
1. [gap in procedure] → Add: [new step or criterion]
2. [gap in procedure] → Add: [new step or criterion]
REMAINING TACIT KNOWLEDGE (cannot yet be proceduralized):
- [item]: Why resistant: [explanation]
FINAL PROCEDURE QUALITY:
- Explicitness: [HIGH/MED/LOW]
- Completeness: [HIGH/MED/LOW]
- Usability by non-expert: [HIGH/MED/LOW]
RECOMMENDED USE: [who should use this procedure and when]
Integration
Use with:
/gapf -> Find gaps in the formalized procedure/dxpt -> Have a domain expert validate the procedure/nusr -> Test if newcomers can follow the procedure
