Cognitive Scaffold

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MENTAL MODEL · M10645

Positive Deviance

Positive Deviance
CultureHigh supportSociology
Included
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Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-30

CORE DEFINITION

Under the same adverse conditions, there are always some individuals (deviants) who achieve better outcomes than others. The key to solving problems is not to introduce external resources, but to discover and promote the strategies of these 'internal outliers.'

SCAFFOLDING EFFECT

psychology

Reduce cognitive load

Mining local wisdom. Don't parachute in expert solutions. Go to the slum and find the mother who raises the healthiest children, and see what she does. The answer is often at the problem site, just unevenly distributed.

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Anchor fast decisions

Under the same constraints, a few individuals achieve better results through observable local behavioral strategies; these strategies can be identified, learned, and promoted without external resources.

MINIMUM ACTION

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Source support: Explicit

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    en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positive_devianceZH · Explicit
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