Cognitive Biases · Growth Library
Compare a Condition With the Same Condition Plus Another Requirement
Split A from A-and-B before a detailed story changes the comparison.
Try this
Identify condition A, identify the additional condition B, write the compound event as A-and-B, and check whether every compound case is already included among the A cases. If so, do not rank the compound event above A merely because the added detail makes the story feel more specific.
Check-in: What was A, what extra condition did B add, is every A-and-B case already an A case, and did the detailed wording change my initial ranking?
Evidence: Practical guidance; no evidence-like claim is detected in the current source record.
Review note: The inherited article contained fabricated pause experiments, unsupported cognitive mechanisms, arbitrary probability-training bins and daily quotas, plus inappropriate high-stakes examples. The effective public record retains only the logical subset check between A and A-and-B and removes claims about psychological effects or optimal training.
A detailed description can feel compelling, but one simple logical relationship does not depend on the story. If one event is A and another requires both A and B, every A-and-B case is already part of A. Write the sets explicitly before ranking the two descriptions.
1. Split the statement into conditions
Identify the general condition A and the additional requirement B. Remove descriptive material that does not change whether the event belongs to A, B, or both.
2. Write A and A-and-B side by side
Make the comparison visible. The first option requires A. The second requires A and also B. This prevents a vivid compound description from hiding the additional requirement.
3. Check the subset relationship
Ask whether every case satisfying A-and-B also satisfies A. When that is true, the compound event is contained within A and cannot contain more cases than A itself.
4. Use another method when the structure differs
If the options are not nested, or the decision depends on conditional information, costs, utilities or other factors, this logical check is not enough. Use the method appropriate to the actual question rather than extending the shortcut beyond its scope.
Questions to consider
Why can A-and-B not be more common than A?
Every case that satisfies both A and B necessarily satisfies A. The compound set is therefore contained inside the A set; adding a required condition cannot create additional cases outside A.
Does this mean the simpler explanation is always better?
No. This protocol is only about comparing a condition with the same condition plus another required condition. Detail can be useful for explanation or prediction, but it does not reverse the subset relationship between A and A-and-B.
What if the statements are not nested in this way?
Then this check does not decide the comparison. Define the events more carefully or use an appropriate probability or decision method rather than forcing an A-versus-A-and-B template onto a different problem.
Maintenance record
Review history
Current status: Reviewed. An editorial or evidence review is recorded and no later event changes that conclusion.
2026-09-10 · reviewed · Brali claim cleanup agent Source: protocol-content-overrides-claim-cleanup-batch-8.json
Replace fabricated pause experiments, cognitive-mechanism claims, arbitrary probability bins, daily quotas and inappropriate high-stakes examples with the underlying logical subset check.
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Article versions
Brali keeps substantive article history visible. Later reviews may refresh wording, sources, examples, or boundaries without silently replacing the record.
- Version 2025-10-06: first recorded publication in the migrated Brali corpus.
- Evidence review 2026-09-10: reviewed by Brali claim cleanup agent; evidence state is
practical.
Canonical source record · Evidence state: practical.