yogsoth-ai Mechanism Mapping
Construct the directed causal graph by creating mechanism edges between the variables identified in the variable-identification phase. Each edge must carry a plain-language description of the underlying mechanism and at least one evidence citation.
Guiding Focus
CC must treat each proposed edge as a hypothesis, not a fact. For every mechanism edge created, the description should answer three questions: what is the pathway, under what conditions does it hold, and what would falsify it. Edges without a plausible mechanism description are placeholders and must be revisited. The goal is a graph where every arrow is defensible, not merely plausible.
Available Tactics
- counterfactual-reasoning — for each edge A→B, ask "if A were held constant, would B still change?" to stress-test the mechanism
- evidence-weighing — rank competing mechanism descriptions by the strength and independence of their supporting citations
- feedback-loop-detection — scan the emerging graph for cycles that would indicate feedback rather than one-way causation
Budget Slice
| Metric | S | M | L |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mechanism edges created | 10 | 25 | 50 |
| Mechanism descriptions | 5 | 15 | 30 |
| Evidence citations | 8 | 20 | 40 |
State Ledger Template
| Metric | Target | Current | Status |
|-------------------------|--------|---------|--------|
| Mechanism edges created | S:10 / M:25 / L:50 | 0 | ⬜ |
| Mechanism descriptions | S:5 / M:15 / L:30 | 0 | ⬜ |
| Evidence citations | S:8 / M:20 / L:40 | 0 | ⬜ |
Available Tactics
Optional, no fixed order; the final leaf is always a sop.
| Tactic | When to use |
|---|---|
| counterfactual-reasoning | Tactic for reasoning about what would happen if variables were different — supports causal identification and intervention analysis. |
| evidence-weighing | Tactic for assessing the strength and relevance of evidence for causal claims — distinguishes correlation from causation. |
| feedback-loop-detection | Tactic for identifying circular causation — detect feedback loops, classify as reinforcing or balancing, document loop structure. |
Available SOPs
Optional, no fixed order; the final leaf is always a sop.
| SOP | When to use |
|---|---|
| mechanism-edge-creation | SOP for creating a causal mechanism edge — documents how one variable causes changes in another. |