Cognitive Scaffold

Preparing your thinking workspace

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MENTAL MODEL · M6782

PQP

PQP
BehaviorHigh supportPsychology
Included
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Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-30

CORE DEFINITION

P (Praise): praise—what was done well. Q (Question): question—what is unclear. P (Polish): polish—suggestions for improvement.

SCAFFOLDING EFFECT

psychology

Reduce cognitive load

Constructive peer feedback. Use questions instead of criticism to lower the other person's defensiveness while providing specific directions for improvement.

anchor

Anchor fast decisions

Direct criticism easily triggers defensiveness, causing the other person to not listen. PQP first praises (P) to build a sense of safety, then uses questions (Q) instead of assertive criticism—"I didn't understand this part, what was your intention?" to guide the other person to self-reflect, and finally gives polishing suggestions (P). Using questions instead of blame preserves the relationship and promotes improvement.

MINIMUM ACTION

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Source support: Explicit

  • link
    en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PP_%28complexity%29ZH · Explicit
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