In a small office at a publishing company, three colleagues, Akari, Bao, and Cyrus, are working on a report that must be submitted by the end of the day. Akari, who is currently editing the report, believes that Bao, who gathered the data, has all the figures needed. However, Bao is waiting for Cyrus, the data analyst, to verify the numbers. Cyrus, on the other hand, thinks Akari is finalizing the text and believes Bao has already inserted the verified figures into the report. Akari leaves her desk to attend a brief meeting, thinking the report is nearly complete. While she's away, Bao checks with Cyrus, who is surprised to find out that the numbers haven't been verified. Cyrus quickly processes the data and hands the verified figures to Bao. Bao, now holding the updated figures, remembers that Akari is extremely careful about making last-minute changes and prefers to insert the final numbers herself. Bao places the figures on Akari's desk with a note saying they are the final verified figures to be added to the report. Akari returns from her meeting, sees the figures, but gets an urgent phone call from a client before she can read Bao's note. Assuming the report is complete, she sends it off to their manager without adding the new figures. The manager, noticing that the figures are missing, calls the team into her office. How can each team member's theory of mind error have contributed to the omission of the figures in the final report?
Akari commits a theory of mind error by assuming that Bao had already included the necessary data in the report before she left for her meeting, without directly confirming this. She operates under this false belief because she is unaware that Bao is waiting for verification from Cyrus. Bao, on the other hand, also makes a theory of mind error by assuming that Cyrus knows he should verify the figures before they are added to the report. Bao does not consider that Cyrus might be under the impression that Bao had already inserted the verified figures into the report. Cyrus's error lies in his failure to verify the need for the verification process with Bao or Akari, incorrectly assuming that Bao was taking responsibility for the figures' inclusion. When all these incorrect assumptions based on each person's understanding of the other's beliefs and states of knowledge are pieced together, it becomes clear that their collective theory of mind errors about what each of their colleagues knows and is responsible for leads to the omission of the verified figures from the final report.