the ladder of inference: understanding our own thinking and the thinking of others

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The Ladder of Inference: Understanding Our Own Thinking and the Thinking of Others

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Page 1: The Ladder of Inference: Understanding Our Own Thinking and the Thinking of Others

The Ladder of Inference:

Understanding Our Own Thinking and the Thinking of Others

Page 2: The Ladder of Inference: Understanding Our Own Thinking and the Thinking of Others

CHALLENGES:

Understanding the “current realities”

Understanding the thinking of others and myself

Page 3: The Ladder of Inference: Understanding Our Own Thinking and the Thinking of Others

Our Beliefs: why we need the ladder

Our beliefs are the truthThe truth is obvious Our beliefs are based on real

dataThe data we select are the

real data

Page 4: The Ladder of Inference: Understanding Our Own Thinking and the Thinking of Others

Mental Models

Mental models are the assumptions & stories which we carry in our minds of ourselves, other people, institutions, & every aspect of the world

Page 5: The Ladder of Inference: Understanding Our Own Thinking and the Thinking of Others

Mental Models

Differences between mental models explain why two people can observe the same event and describe it differently; they are paying attention to different details.

Page 6: The Ladder of Inference: Understanding Our Own Thinking and the Thinking of Others

Mental Models

Can also shape how we act:

If I believe people are trustworthy, then I am more likely to be open to others…

If I believe people can’t be trusted, then I am more likely to be closed to others…

Page 7: The Ladder of Inference: Understanding Our Own Thinking and the Thinking of Others

Mental Models

Are often unexamined

Core task is to bring models to the surface, to explore & talk about them.

Page 8: The Ladder of Inference: Understanding Our Own Thinking and the Thinking of Others

Reflection & Inquiry

The skills needed to examine our mental models

Page 9: The Ladder of Inference: Understanding Our Own Thinking and the Thinking of Others

The slowing down of our thinking processes to become aware of how we form our own mental models

Reflection

Page 10: The Ladder of Inference: Understanding Our Own Thinking and the Thinking of Others

Conversations where we share our own thinking & through listening & questioning develop knowledge about each other’s thinking or “mental models”

Inquiry

Page 11: The Ladder of Inference: Understanding Our Own Thinking and the Thinking of Others

How We Examine Our Thinking Processes (Mental Models)

Use the “Ladder of Inference” as a metaphor for our thinking process

Page 12: The Ladder of Inference: Understanding Our Own Thinking and the Thinking of Others

The Ladder of Inference

Page 13: The Ladder of Inference: Understanding Our Own Thinking and the Thinking of Others

Observable “Data”& experiences

I select “data”

I add meanings

I make Assumptions

I draw conclusions

I adopt beliefs

I take actions based on my beliefs

“Working” the Ladder

Page 14: The Ladder of Inference: Understanding Our Own Thinking and the Thinking of Others

Ladder of Inference: Bottom Step

Observable “data” and experiences as a video recorder might capture it.

Page 15: The Ladder of Inference: Understanding Our Own Thinking and the Thinking of Others

The Ladder of Inference-Step 2: We GATHER & SELECT DATASuggested questions:

The journalist’s questions: Who? What? When? Where? How?

What is the data that I selected to attend to?

Do we have all the pertinent data?

What other information is there about what actually occurred?

Do we have all the perspectives included that have pertinent information?

Page 16: The Ladder of Inference: Understanding Our Own Thinking and the Thinking of Others

The Ladder-Step 2: We INTERPRET & MAKE MEANING

Connect experience & associations from our past.

Generate patterns.

Add our values & beliefs.

Have emotional responses.

Etc.

Page 17: The Ladder of Inference: Understanding Our Own Thinking and the Thinking of Others

The Ladder-Step 2: We INTERPRET-MAKE MEANING

Suggested questions:

What connections do I see across these different sets of information?

Am I surprised by any of the data? The information?

What emotional responses to the data/information am I aware of?

Are there discrepant sets of information?

Page 18: The Ladder of Inference: Understanding Our Own Thinking and the Thinking of Others

The Ladder-Step 3: We MAKE ASSUMPTIONS…“make up our own information which may or may not be true”

About people & their thinking.

About the context & relationships.

About significance.

About outcomes.

About Etc.

Page 19: The Ladder of Inference: Understanding Our Own Thinking and the Thinking of Others

The Ladder-Step 3: We MAKE ASSUMPTIONS…“make up our own information which may or may not be true”

Questions: What information am I generating that may not be true…

About people & their thinking?

About the context?

About the significance of events or information?

About possible results or consequences?

Page 20: The Ladder of Inference: Understanding Our Own Thinking and the Thinking of Others

The Ladder-Step 4: We MAKE JUDGMENTS & DRAW CONCLUSIONS.

Individual differences in this step of information processing (MBTI).

Brings closure to the thinking process underlying action.

Issue: “Leaping” up the ladder.

Habit of mind: Awareness of when to climb back down the ladder.

Page 21: The Ladder of Inference: Understanding Our Own Thinking and the Thinking of Others

The Ladder-Step 4: We MAKE JUDGMENTS & DRAW CONCLUSIONS…

To make an inference:

to arrive at a conclusion that evidence, facts, or assertions point toward but do not absolutely establish;

to draw tentative conclusions from incomplete data.

Page 22: The Ladder of Inference: Understanding Our Own Thinking and the Thinking of Others

The Ladder-Step 5: WE MAKE DECISIONS & TAKE ACTION

Suggested questions:What resulted from this action?

Are the results what I intended?

What unintended results occurred?

Are these results moving toward the larger vision, beyond this particular circumstance?

Do the results suggest that reflection using the ladder of inference is warranted?

Page 23: The Ladder of Inference: Understanding Our Own Thinking and the Thinking of Others

Examining Our Assumptions

Think of a recent conflict you have had with another person

In the right hand column of the “right/left” column form describe the conversation as you remember it

In the left hand column describe your assumptions about what was happening

Share your story and your conflict with the person next to you