Cognitive Style

Cognitive Style replaces rigid reasoning loop selection with a phase-based thinking strategy chain. Instead of picking a single strategy ("react" or "chain-of-thought"), you define multiple phases that transition based on conditions.

Structure

type Style struct {
    Phases              []Phase
    DepthPreference     float64 // 0.0 = shallow, 1.0 = deep
    FocusPreference     float64 // 0.0 = broad, 1.0 = narrow
    ReflectionFrequency float64 // how often to self-reflect
}

Phases

A phase represents one stage in a cognitive strategy chain:

type Phase struct {
    Strategy   Strategy
    MaxSteps   int
    Transition TransitionCondition
}

Strategies

Strategy	Description
`analytical`	Structured, step-by-step analysis
`creative`	Exploratory, lateral thinking
`methodical`	Systematic, exhaustive approach
`reactive`	Quick response, minimal deliberation
`reflective`	Self-evaluating, iterative refinement
`collaborative`	Seeks input, considers multiple perspectives

Transition conditions

Condition	Description
`after_steps`	Transition after `MaxSteps` reasoning steps
`on_stuck`	Transition when progress stalls
`on_plan_complete`	Transition when the current plan is finished
`on_error`	Transition when an error occurs

Multi-phase example

A three-phase cognitive style for a code reviewer:

cognitive.Style{
    Phases: []cognitive.Phase{
        {
            Strategy:   cognitive.StrategyAnalytical,
            MaxSteps:   5,
            Transition: cognitive.TransitionAfterSteps,
        },
        {
            Strategy:   cognitive.StrategyReflective,
            MaxSteps:   3,
            Transition: cognitive.TransitionAfterSteps,
        },
        {
            Strategy:   cognitive.StrategyMethodical,
            MaxSteps:   10,
            Transition: cognitive.TransitionOnPlanComplete,
        },
    },
    DepthPreference:     0.8,
    FocusPreference:     0.6,
    ReflectionFrequency: 0.5,
}

This style starts with analytical examination, reflects on initial findings, then methodically addresses each issue.

Embedding in a persona

Cognitive style is a value object embedded directly in the persona:

persona := &persona.Persona{
    CognitiveStyle: cognitive.Style{
        Phases: []cognitive.Phase{
            {Strategy: cognitive.StrategyAnalytical},
        },
    },
}