Cognitive Scaffold

Preparing your thinking workspace

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MENTAL MODEL · M2522

Frame Story

Frame Story
CultureHigh supportLiterature
Included
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Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-30

CORE DEFINITION

A story within a story. An outer story (such as the elderly Rose telling her story in Titanic) wraps around the core story.

SCAFFOLDING EFFECT

psychology

Reduce cognitive load

Perspective shift. When the core story is too distant or too bizarre, framing it with a modern 'frame' can increase realism and provide space for commentary.

anchor

Anchor fast decisions

Using one layer of story to wrap another (story within a story) to establish narrative context, distance, or irony. The outer frame gives meaning to the inner layer.

MINIMUM ACTION

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Source support: Explicit

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

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