Incorporating Contextual
Sensitivity and Meta-Cognition
into Intelligence Activity
Claudia Baisini – Incorporating Contextual Sensitivity and Meta Cognition in Intelligence Activity
2011-06-09 for IAFIE
About me…
• Economics Milano
• Organizational Sciences/Business, Scotland
• Cross Cultural marketing Strategy, CBS
• MSc Intl management
• STRATMAS
• MaC
• Red & Green Teaming/Re-framing
• Neuroscience, KI and Columbia
• Agility
Claudia Baisini – Incorporating Contextual Sensitivity and Meta Cognition in Intelligence Activity
2011-06-09 for IAFIE
The problem
• Environment with a higher degree of complexity:
• Complicated vs Complex
• Making decisions in a complex environment requires
more internal versatility to make sense of the problem
• Mental Models, Framing, habitus, Categorizations (i.e.
freedom)
Claudia Baisini – Incorporating Contextual Sensitivity and Meta Cognition in Intelligence Activity
2011-06-09 for IAFIE
Claudia Baisini – Incorporating Contextual Sensitivity and Meta Cognition in Intelligence Activity
2011-06-09 for IAFIE
Claudia Baisini – Incorporating Contextual Sensitivity and Meta Cognition in Intelligence Activity
2011-06-09 for IAFIE
Claudia Baisini – Incorporating Contextual Sensitivity and Meta Cognition in Intelligence Activity
2011-06-09 for IAFIE
Framing
A frame in social theory consists of a schema of
interpretation— that is, a collection of anecdotes
and stereotypes—that individuals rely on to
understand and respond to events.
We do not look at an event and then "apply" a frame
to it. Rather, individuals constantly project into the
world around them the interpretive frames that
allow them to make sense of it; we only shift
frames (or realize that we have habitually applied a
frame) when incongruity calls for a frame-shift. In
other words, we only become aware of the frames
that we always already use when something forces
us to replace one frame with another
Claudia Baisini – Incorporating Contextual Sensitivity and Meta Cognition in Intelligence Activity
2011-06-09 for IAFIE
Framing Effect
• In psychology, framing is influenced by the
background of a context choice and the way
in which the question is worded
• Presenting the same option in different
formats can alter people's decisions.
Specifically, individuals have a tendency to
select inconsistent choices, depending on
whether the question is framed to
concentrate on losses or gains.
Plous, Scott (1993). The psychology of judgment and decision making
Claudia Baisini – Incorporating Contextual Sensitivity and Meta Cognition in Intelligence Activity
2011-06-09 for IAFIE
Organizational Culture
Organizational culture can be divided into three
levels:
• the most superficial and visible that includes
facilities and disposition of the workplace,
organizational charts and so forth
• the one that is professed and communicated such
as ethos, statements, official symbols.
• At the deepest level are the elements that are
internalized (Schein calls them Tacit Assumptions or
Unspoken Rules); these elements are not visible and
often are not discussed.
• Espoused Theory and Theory in Use
Claudia Baisini – Incorporating Contextual Sensitivity and Meta Cognition in Intelligence Activity
2011-06-09 for IAFIE
Visual Perception and Categorization
Our expectations and knowledge of a scene influence
how we perceive objects associated with that scene.
• Contextual Cueing:
when dealing with less familiar objects and complex
scenes, the importance of context to guide perception increases (i.e. kitchen)
• Change Blindness:
our expectations and knowledge of a scene
influences how we perceive objects associated with that scene
Chun, M and Marois, R. 2002 “The dark side of visual attention”, Current Opinion
in Neurobiology, 12.XXX
• Inattentional Blindness:
individuals focused on attentionally
demanding tasks fail to notice stimuli that appear in front of their eye
Claudia Baisini – Incorporating Contextual Sensitivity and Meta Cognition in Intelligence Activity
2011-06-09 for IAFIE
However, Contextual Cueing also shows
that…
• Visual context can assist localization of individual
objects via an implicit learning mechanism.. implicit
memory of visual context can provide top-down
guidance for attention and awareness. In other
words, with repeated experience the visual system
picks up on invariant spatial relationships and uses
this information to guide attention, without need for
conscious intervention.”
Jungs, B. Scholl, B. and Chun, M. 2007 “How is spatial context learning
integrated over signal versus noise? A primacy effect in contextual
cuing”, Visual Cognition, 15 (1), 1-11
Claudia Baisini – Incorporating Contextual Sensitivity and Meta Cognition in Intelligence Activity
2011-06-09 for IAFIE
Claudia Baisini – Incorporating Contextual Sensitivity and Meta Cognition in Intelligence Activity
2011-06-09 for IAFIE
Intuition
• The automatic retrieval and translation of
subconsciously stored information into the
conscious realm to make decisions and perform
actions.
• Or: use of experience to recognize key patterns
[…]
Claudia Baisini – Incorporating Contextual Sensitivity and Meta Cognition in Intelligence Activity
2011-06-09 for IAFIE
Train to Continuous Learning
• Single-Double and Triple Loop Learning
• Learning as a flow rather than as an episodic
phenomenon
• Reflection in Action: first step to thinking out of the
box is to have a clearer picture of what the box is
made on
• When people expand their repertoire they improve
their alertness
Claudia Baisini – Incorporating Contextual Sensitivity and Meta Cognition in Intelligence Activity
2011-06-09 for IAFIE
The Goal
• Training as ”developing the mindset to handle any
problem” rather than ”providing solutions to specific
problems.” (i.e. drilling Op)
• Training methods that foster mental agility and the
capability to re-frame and continuous learning from
the environment by interacting with it, rather than
being provided static and pre-determined schemes of
interpretation.
• Go with the flow rather than trying to fit a
multidimensional reality into a cube.
Claudia Baisini – Incorporating Contextual Sensitivity and Meta Cognition in Intelligence Activity
2011-06-09 for IAFIE
Training
• Increase Visual Observation Skills:
•
•
•
•
Rapid Recognition Training
Renshaw Recognition System and Tachistoschope
Pitfalls: this alone could reinforce categorizations
Suggestion: develop a version specific to train re-framing
• Increase awareness of own frames of reference and
categorizations (what the box is made on)
• Unfreeze and reframe through exercises (visual and
problem solving) that force the trainee to rethink
own logics and turn them upside down.
Claudia Baisini – Incorporating Contextual Sensitivity and Meta Cognition in Intelligence Activity
2011-06-09 for IAFIE
Sustainability
• Training is not enough; without procedures and
routines that keep this mindset alive, it would slowly
go back to comfort zone.
• Develop an Organizational Culture based on a
language of inquiry rather than on a language of
certainty (which fosters complacency, i.e. NASA case).
• Introduce practices and routines that foster alertness,
vigilance and detection of weak signals.
• Introduce practices and routines that reward looking at
situations from a different (even if absurd) angle.
Claudia Baisini – Incorporating Contextual Sensitivity and Meta Cognition in Intelligence Activity
2011-06-09 for IAFIE
Way Ahead
• Experiment on analytical method (Re-framing) with
focus on its impact on Implicit vs Explicit
categorizations
• Mental Agility and Organizational Agility (NDC, KI,
Columbia University)
• Development of RRT specific for training of reframing
and detection of weak signals (the NOT expected)
• Development of simulations for training of
competencies (Simulation Team, University of Genoa)
Contact: [email protected]
Claudia Baisini – Incorporating Contextual Sensitivity and Meta Cognition in Intelligence Activity
2011-06-09 for IAFIE
Claudia Baisini – Incorporating Contextual Sensitivity and Meta Cognition in Intelligence Activity
2011-06-09 for IAFIE