- When a characteristic F is increasing, we can say “it was not F before than it is now” in the sense of “the value of F has increased from before”.
- Suppose Mr. A omits “than now” and says, “It wasn’t F before.”
- Hearing this, Mr. B interprets it as “Mr. A is claiming that ‘at some point T, he changed from a state that is not F to a state that is F.‘”
- Then, “When is point T?” I ask.
- At this point, Mr. A does not claim that he changed from a state that is not F to a state that is F at some point T. Therefore, I feel that Mr. B has asked me a question that does not make sense.
- I feel it is a kind of false dichotomy because you seem to be asking a question assuming that a change point exists in something that is changing smoothly.
- But I don’t think I’d be able to communicate well with Mr. B in this situation if I pointed out to him that that’s a false dichotomy.
- Since Mr. B’s side is in a state of mistaken belief that “Mr. A thinks so”.
- false belief issue associated with
- Situations where false beliefs about others’ beliefs are occurring.
- Since Mr. B’s side is in a state of mistaken belief that “Mr. A thinks so”.
This situation can be seen as an example of exactly how misconceptions can cause obstacles in communication. The points are summarized below.
- situation summary
- Mr. A’s intent: to say “it used to be less F than it is now”, but not to argue about the timing of the change or the specific point in time T.
- Mr. B’s interpretation: he misunderstands that Mr. A is claiming that F changed at some point T, and tries to ask about that point.
- the impact of false dichotomies
- Mr. B’s behavior is based on a tendency to interpret smooth changes by reducing them to discrete change points (a false dichotomy). This misinterprets Mr. A’s statement as making an incorrect assertion.
- Why the misunderstanding:.
- Mr. B assumes that only one of “being/not being F” exists.
- As a result, the report mischaracterizes Ms. A’s statement that “F has increased from what it is now” as an assertion that her condition changed at a particular point in time.
- similarity to the false belief task
- This situation is similar to the phenomenon of “incorrectly understanding the beliefs of others” in a false belief task.
Mr. A’s point of view: I feel that Mr. B’s question is off the mark because I am not arguing for a change.
- Mr. B’s point of view: He believes that Mr. A is asserting a point of change and tries to elicit more information.
- This reflects the characteristics of a misconception task, in which one interprets the statements and intentions of others based on one’s own perceptions and does not realize that the interpretation is incorrect.
- solution
- Directly pointing out to Mr. B that it is a false dichotomy may not resolve the misunderstanding. In this case, the following steps can help
- Specifics: tell them, “I am just saying that F is changing smoothly, I am not aware of a specific point in time.”
- Question to confirm the misunderstanding: “Did you hear my words to mean ‘changed at point T’?” and conversely confirm with Mr. B to clarify the source of the misunderstanding.
- Share images of change: use graphs and metaphors to convey that the change in F is continuous (e.g., “like the gradual increase in the flow of a river”).
Thus, it is possible to correct Mr. B’s understanding by explaining and asking questions based on his perception of the misconception. At the same time, this is an interesting case to realize the difficulty of communication in a misconception-tasking situation.
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