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The Ladder of Inference

The document summarizes the Ladder of Inference, a tool used to understand how people think and make decisions. It describes the 7 steps people go through: 1) observing data, 2) selecting certain data, 3) adding personal meaning, 4) making assumptions, 5) drawing conclusions, 6) adopting beliefs, and 7) taking actions. These steps often happen unconsciously and can lead people to reinforce their existing beliefs through a feedback loop. The tool helps people become more aware of their thought processes and mental models to improve decision-making.

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omer farooq
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230 views6 pages

The Ladder of Inference

The document summarizes the Ladder of Inference, a tool used to understand how people think and make decisions. It describes the 7 steps people go through: 1) observing data, 2) selecting certain data, 3) adding personal meaning, 4) making assumptions, 5) drawing conclusions, 6) adopting beliefs, and 7) taking actions. These steps often happen unconsciously and can lead people to reinforce their existing beliefs through a feedback loop. The tool helps people become more aware of their thought processes and mental models to improve decision-making.

Uploaded by

omer farooq
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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The Ladder of

Inference
Omer Farooq Ahmed
The Ladder of Inference is a tool that helps us understand how we think and process information. Its purpose is to
help us become more aware of our own thought processes and the mental models that influence our decisions and
actions. By using the ladder of inference, we can better understand how we arrive at our conclusions, and we can
learn to challenge our assumptions and beliefs to improve our decision-making and problem-solving abilities.
So lets learn in detail about the steps in the ladder of inference:

1.Data: At the bottom of the ladder is the data, which is the actual information that we observe and experience2
2.Selecting data: We selectively choose which data to pay attention to based on our beliefs, values, and past
experiences.
3.Adding meaning: We add meaning to the data based on our interpretations and assumptions.
4.Making assumptions: We make assumptions about the meaning of the data based on our beliefs, values, and past
experiences.
5.Drawing conclusions: We draw conclusions based on the assumptions we've made about the data.
6.Adopting beliefs: We adopt beliefs based on the conclusions we've drawn, which can influence our future
thoughts, feelings, and actions.
7.Taking actions: We take actions based on our beliefs, which can have real-world consequences.
(from here I would take them back to previous slide and tally with previous
picture so that it gets in memory better…. )

4/18/2023 PRESENTATION TITLE 2


4/18/2023 PRESENTATION TITLE 3
Finally, we take action based on our beliefs.

This all happens in a blink of an eye, beneath the


surface of our awareness. The beliefs that emerge over
time influence the details we pay attention to as we
“go up the ladder.” The arrow to the right of the ladder shows
how our beliefs influence what we choose to notice. The R next
to the arrow means that our beliefs can reinforce what we
notice. This causal connection is a recursive relationship. The
stronger our beliefs, the more influence they have on what we
notice. As we go up the ladder, the more we notice the same
things, and the stronger our belief becomes. This creates a
reinforcing, or feedback, loop.

4/18/2023 4
Climbing Up the Ladder
Bottom:
We step up to the ladder with our background and experience. It’s morning,
racing to the car to get to work, I climb in and press the ignition.
1st Step:
We notice certain information and details. I don’t hear anything at all.
Pressing the ignition again – I hear nothing!
2nd Step:
We add our own meaning. The car is not going to start.
3rd Step:
We develop beliefs. The battery must be dead.
4th Step:
We do something – take action. I will call a service station to come help me
start my car.
In this scenario, our beliefs from
previous experiences with keys
and cars are leading us to
action. But, because of the
ladder’s reinforcing loop, there is
Climbing Down the Ladder a failure to notice other details.

4th Step:
Why am I doing this? I need to get my car started.
3rd Step:
What makes me believe the battery is dead? The car didn’t start; it didn’t make any sounds whatsoever.
That has happened to me before and the battery was dead.
2nd Step:
Is the assumption attached to the event valid? Well, maybe, but it could be something else. This is a
different car, much newer than I have ever had before. I’ve never had a car without a key. This fob thing is
new to me.
1st Step:
What data am I paying attention to? Why? The car didn’t start when I pressed the ignition button. It was
silent. That’s what I listen for when a car is starting and I need to get to work.
6

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