Brainstorming
A SAT that generates hypotheses, alternative explanations, and new perspectives through free, non-judgmental group ideation. The most foundational imaginative technique; often used as the first step in more structured methods.
Purpose
Surface a broader range of hypotheses than any single analyst would generate alone. Counteracts premature closure and groupthink by creating space for unconventional ideas before evaluation begins.
Biases Primarily Controlled
| Bias | How this technique counters it |
|---|---|
| Groupthink | Deferred-judgment rules temporarily suspend social pressure toward consensus; all ideas recorded before evaluation |
| Anchoring Bias | Prevents any early idea from becoming an anchor before alternatives are generated |
| Framing Effect | Broadens the generative space beyond the initial problem frame |
| Availability Heuristic | Free association surfaces less-available alternatives through associative chains from more-available ones |
Relationship to Other Techniques
- Used as Step 1 of Analysis of competing hypotheses (ach) — generate all hypotheses before evaluating evidence
- Provides the raw material that Devil’s advocacy and What if? analysis then develop rigorously
Applied in Cybersecurity
- Incident Responders: generates hypotheses about unusual attack vectors (Riley: SATs in Cybersecurity (2024))
- SOC Analysts: generates hypotheses about unusual network traffic patterns
- General: fosters collective input and synthesizes diverse perspectives