B2–C1 · CDG · XTHCDG005

What changed before [X], and what stayed the same?

A reusable frame from “Causal diagnosis”. Separate triggers from causes, compare mechanisms, and diagnose causal structure without treating sequence as proof.

EN · EnglishWhat changed before [X], and what stayed the same?
DE · GermanWas hat sich vor [X] verändert, und was ist gleich geblieben?

Try variations2 · more examples

  1. RU · Translation

    Что изменилось перед тем, как пользователи перестали возвращаться, а что осталось прежним?

    EN · English

     What  changed before  users  stopped  returning, and  what  stayed the  same?

    DE · German

     Was  hat  sich  verändert, bevor  Nutzer nicht mehr  zurückkamen, und  was  ist gleich  geblieben?

  2. RU · Translation

    Что изменилось перед замедлением обработки, а что осталось прежним?

    EN · English

     What  changed before  processing  slowed down, and  what  stayed the  same?

    DE · German

     Was  hat  sich  verändert, bevor  die Verarbeitung langsamer  wurde, und  was  ist gleich  geblieben?

Use this move when you want to…

Reasoning move · Cause

Cause

What it does

Use a change in conditions to narrow causal investigation without treating timing as proof.

Pattern graph

Continue with nearby patterns

Related reasoning patterns4

Nearby structures let you perform the same reasoning move in a different form.

  1. [X] may have triggered [Y], but that does not make it the underlying cause.Cause · same reasoning move · same study set
  2. If [X] were the main cause, we would expect [Y]; if [Z] were, we would expect [W].Cause · same reasoning move · same study set
  3. The link from [X] to [Y] only makes sense if [Z] happens in between.Cause · same reasoning move · same study set
  4. [X] may be necessary for [Y], but it is not sufficient on its own.Cause · same reasoning move · same study set

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