| type | skill |
| lifecycle | stable |
| inheritance | inheritable |
| name | problem-framing-audit |
| description | Step-back protocol — restate, generalise, specialise, invert, ask why, pre-mortem, check stakeholders, and audit framings before solving |
| tier | core |
| applyTo | **/*problem*,**/*framing*,**/*audit* |
| currency | 2026-04-26T00:00:00.000Z |
| lastReviewed | 2026-04-30T00:00:00.000Z |
Problem Framing Audit (Discipline -1)
Before you solve, audit the frame. A flawless solution to the wrong problem is still a wrong answer.
Purpose
The first failure mode in critical thinking is solving the wrong problem precisely (Mitroff & Featheringham 1974, Type III error). Most "thinking harder" effort runs downstream of a frame that was never audited — the user's literal request, restated as my plan, treated as ground truth. This skill is the structural answer.
The frame audit runs before the materiality gate. Materiality asks "if I get this answer wrong, would it change anything?" Framing asks something prior: "am I even working on the right question?"
When to Activate
| Trigger | Activation |
|---|
| Single-file edit, < 15 minutes of work, mechanical task | Skip — frame audit adds friction without payoff |
| Task uses the words "fix", "improve", "make faster", "speed up", "broken", "make it work" | Always audit — these phrases hide a symptom-frame |
| Task spans 3+ files, requires architectural choice, or estimates > 15 minutes | Always audit |
| User restates the same request after a failed attempt | Always audit — repeated failure is a signal the frame is wrong |
| User says "just" do X, or "simply" Y, or "all you have to do is" | Always audit — these phrases mark unexamined frames |
User explicitly invokes /reframe or asks "what am I missing?" | Always audit |
The rule is asymmetric on purpose: trivial tasks pass through; non-trivial tasks audit first.
The Step-Back Protocol
Eight checks. The discipline is not to run all eight on every problem — it is to run at least one before committing to a solution. Pick the check most likely to surface a different framing for this specific request.
| # | Check | Activation question | Source |
|---|
| 1. Restate | Can I write the problem in one sentence in my own words? | If I can't, I don't understand it yet. Ask. | Polya 1945 — What is the unknown? |
