Scaffolding
TL;DR
- Scaffolding is building prerequisites so the main idea can land.
- It’s not “write more”—it’s sequence + constraints + causality.
- AI hedging often signals missing scaffolding.
The educator analogy
A student experiences the world through existing beliefs built from lived experience. Good teaching starts by assessing those beliefs, then sequencing understanding so the lesson can attach without resistance.
AI answers behave similarly: when the ecosystem lacks clear prerequisites (definitions, constraints, mechanism), the model hedges.
Scaffolding checklist
- Definition: what it is / isn’t
- Mechanism: why/how it works
- Constraints: when it doesn’t work, exceptions
- Tradeoffs: cost, variability, risk
- Misconceptions: common wrong assumptions
- Application: what to do next, decision path
- Reinforcement: internal linking + repeated language
The belief stabilization loop
- Observe belief (AI + human)
- Publish scaffolding (definitions → mechanism → constraints)
- Reinforce across pages and formats
- Re-test prompts and track hedging changes
Last updated: 2026-02-04