State-Consequence Matrix
Updated 2026-08-22
INTRODUCTION
English translation pending.
CORE DEFINITION
An analytical device that enumerates the states a system can occupy and pairs each with the consequences that follow if it occurs. Unlike a simple risk register, it separates the question of which state arises from the question of how bad that state is, letting analysts rank risks by consequence rather than by likelihood alone. The qualification is that its value depends entirely on completeness of the state enumeration, since states left off the grid are invisible to the analysis. It appears in practice as the severity column of failure mode and effects analysis.
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
- State enumeration: list every state the system can enter, including degraded and partial ones. - Consequence grading: assign a severity to each state before debating how likely it is. - Priority ranking: sort the states by consequence to decide where mitigation effort should go.
Anchor fast decisions
Risk judgments are distorted because vivid or recent states crowd out unconsidered ones. Writing the states into a grid forces exhaustive enumeration, and grading consequences separately from probabilities prevents a low-probability but catastrophic state from being dismissed on likelihood grounds before its severity is even recorded.
MINIMUM ACTION
In progress 0/1Practice this model in one real situation:
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Source support: Explicit
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decision_matrixverified
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