Relativity / Frame of Reference
Updated 2026-08-15
INTRODUCTION
English translation pending.
CORE DEFINITION
From physics, where special and general relativity establish that measurements of time, length, and motion depend on the observer's frame of reference, and that no frame is privileged. Applied to judgment and negotiation, the same structure appears as anchoring: a value judgment depends on the comparison set the evaluator is using rather than on an absolute property. The qualification is that the analogy is structural rather than literal, and that the physical theory has a precise domain that the everyday application does not inherit.
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
- Frame identification: ask what reference point the current judgment is being measured against. - Frame shifting: change the comparison set and observe whether the conclusion changes. - Anchor check: notice when a number or object has been placed to set the frame for you.
Anchor fast decisions
Judgments of magnitude are made by comparison rather than by absolute measurement, so the same object receives different evaluations depending on what it is compared with. Because the comparison set is usually supplied by context rather than chosen deliberately, whoever sets the context influences the judgment. Making the frame explicit converts it from a hidden input into something that can be examined.
MINIMUM ACTION
In progress 0/1Practice this model in one real situation:
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Source support: Explicit
- zh.wikipedia.orghttps://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%9B%B8%E5%AF%B9%E8%AE%BAverified
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