1 One-Sentence Summary

Description of a cognitive pattern in which an idea becomes clearer by elevating it to a more general case before returning to the original point.

2 Abstract

This report documents a reasoning style based on speaking out loud and using conceptual expansions (“P+1”) to test the consistency of an original case (“P”). The aim is to record the phenomenon, outline its stages, and clarify why it is effective for refining arguments in real time.

3 Keywords

reasoning, conversation, expanded induction, self-dialogue

4 Introduction

This report describes a thinking pattern where ideas are refined while being spoken. Its distinctive feature is the deliberate use of a jump to a more general case to illuminate the particular case. The goal is not to formalize it as a theory, but to register it as an observable cognitive phenomenon.

5 Observations

• Reasoning occurs while speaking, not beforehand.
• Logical gaps become visible when hearing oneself.
• Answering simple questions often triggers exploration of a broader level where the simple case becomes trivial.
• The typical structure:
  • Original case: P
  • Deliberate expansion: P+1
  • Consistency check at the expanded level
  • Return to P after refinement
• The expansion is not digression: it has logical direction.
• This pattern is rarely named explicitly, though fragments appear in various historical methods.

6 Discussion

The process works because the expansion forces implicit assumptions into the open. The jump to P+1 acts as a stability test: if the idea holds in a more demanding context, the particular case gains strength. This mechanism does not map cleanly to mathematical induction, classical abduction, or the Socratic method, though it shares partial features with each. As a cognitive phenomenon, it is useful for real-time reasoning and for making the structure of an argument visible. Externally, it may resemble digression, but its effectiveness depends on the intention and coherence of the expansion.

7 Conclusion

The inductive conversational style is a real and consistent pattern. It does not require strict formalization to be useful. As a report, it helps identify its basic structure and effects: clarification, exposure of implicit assumptions, and refinement of the original case through temporary expansion of the reasoning process.

8 About Author(s)

An M. Rodriguez, an@preferredframe.com, https://orcid.org/0009-0009-9098-9468