Someone dealing with an ambiguous situation is more likely to make an unintentional error or to be confused.
Ambiguity occurs when there is more than one meaning or interpretation for a word or situation. It causes a problem if it is misinterpreted or if it causes confusion or doubt.
Risk factors for ambiguity:
(1) intentional
(2) words are taken out of context
(3) a concept is poorly defined
(4) at least one person in the exchange does not understand the concept
(5) a situation is hurried or rushed
(6) a term with many different meanings
Ambiguity can be reduced by explicitly defining what is meant through the process of disambiguation. This requires a bit more time and effort but saves time later.
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