| name | socg - Social Cognition |
| description | Understanding and navigating social dynamics. Identifies social context, models perspectives, predicts reactions, and plans moves with awareness of stated and unstated norms. |
| output | {"format":"prose"} |
Social Cognition
Input: $ARGUMENTS
Step 1: Identify the Social Context
Map the social landscape before acting in it.
- Setting: What kind of social environment is this? (workplace, negotiation, community, family, public, online)
- Players: Who's involved? What are their roles?
- Power dynamics: Who has formal authority? Informal influence? Who's vulnerable?
- History: What's the backstory? What has already happened between these people?
SOCIAL MAP:
- Setting: [type of social environment]
- Players: [list with roles]
- Power structure: [who holds what kind of power]
- Relevant history: [key past events affecting current dynamics]
Step 2: Read the Room — Stated vs. Unstated
Every social situation has two layers. Identify both.
Stated layer (explicit):
- What are people saying directly?
- What are the official rules or norms?
- What's the declared purpose of the interaction?
Unstated layer (implicit):
- What's everyone actually thinking but not saying?
- What are the unwritten rules?
- What's the real purpose of the interaction (if different from stated)?
- What topics are off-limits?
STATED: [what's explicit]
UNSTATED: [what's implicit]
GAP: [where stated and unstated diverge — this is where the real dynamics live]
Step 3: Model Other Perspectives
For each key player, build a perspective model:
PLAYER: [name/role]
- They want: [goals, both stated and likely unstated]
- They fear: [what they're trying to avoid]
- They believe: [key assumptions driving their behavior]
- They see you as: [your role in their mental model]
- Their constraints: [what limits their options]
- Emotional state: [current mood/energy, if detectable]
Repeat for each key player.
RULE: Model at least 2 perspectives. If you can only see your own, you're not doing social cognition.
Step 4: Predict Reactions
For the action you're considering (or the situation you're analyzing), predict how each player would react:
IF [action/event]:
[Player 1] would likely:
- Think: [internal reaction]
- Feel: [emotional response]
- Do: [behavioral response]
- Because: [reasoning based on their perspective model]
[Player 2] would likely:
- Think: [internal reaction]
- Feel: [emotional response]
- Do: [behavioral response]
- Because: [reasoning based on their perspective model]
Check for second-order effects: How would Player 1's reaction affect Player 2?
Step 5: Identify Social Leverage Points
Where can the dynamics be shifted? Look for:
- Alignment opportunities: Where do different players' interests overlap?
- Tension points: Where are interests in direct conflict?
- Information asymmetries: Who knows what? What would change if information flowed differently?
- Coalition possibilities: Who could ally with whom, and around what?
- Timing factors: Is there a better moment to act?
- Framing opportunities: Could the same action land differently with different framing?
LEVERAGE POINTS:
- [leverage point 1]: [how it could shift dynamics]
- [leverage point 2]: [how it could shift dynamics]
...
HIGHEST-IMPACT LEVER: [the single most effective point of intervention]
Step 6: Plan Social Moves
Design your approach with awareness of the full social picture:
OBJECTIVE: [what you're trying to achieve socially]
APPROACH:
- Frame: [how to present the action — what story does it tell?]
- Sequence: [what to do first, second, third]
- Tone: [how to deliver — authoritative, collaborative, curious, etc.]
- Audience: [who needs to hear what, and in what order]
RISKS:
- [risk 1]: [mitigation]
- [risk 2]: [mitigation]
FALLBACK: [what to do if the primary approach doesn't work]
Step 7: Social Cognition Summary
SITUATION: [1-line description]
KEY DYNAMIC: [the most important social force at play]
PERSPECTIVES MODELED: [list of players]
MAIN TENSION: [the core conflict or misalignment]
LEVERAGE POINT: [best place to intervene]
RECOMMENDED MOVE: [what to do, how, and when]
WATCH FOR: [signals that would change the analysis]
Integration
Use with:
/prcp -> Sharpen observation of social cues before modeling/mtcg -> Check your own biases when modeling others/jdgm -> Make judgment calls about social situations under uncertainty/crtv -> Generate creative approaches to social challenges/gu -> Clarify your own goals before planning social moves
