Cognitive Scaffold

Preparing your thinking workspace

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MENTAL MODEL · M1768

Thick Description

Thick Description
CultureHigh supportAnthropology
Included
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Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-30

CORE DEFINITION

Not only describe the behavior itself (e.g., "winking"), but also describe the intention, background, cultural connotation, and symbolic meaning behind the behavior (e.g., "winking" is a secret signal). Only "thick description" can understand the essence of culture.

SCAFFOLDING EFFECT

psychology

Reduce cognitive load

- User insight: When doing user research, do not just record "the user clicked the button" (thin description), but understand "why the user clicked at that time, with what emotion" (thick description). Data is the skeleton, meaning is the flesh.

anchor

Anchor fast decisions

Geertz proposed "Thick Description": a detailed description of behavior rich in context, meaning, and intention, not only recording "what was done" but also explaining its meaning in the cultural symbol system, to interpret rather than merely report.

MINIMUM ACTION

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Source support: Explicit

  • link
    en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thick_descriptionZH · Explicit
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