The Curse of Knowledge as a Structural Consequence of Emergence (Working Hypothesis)

This working hypothesis proposes that a subset of the curse of knowledge is not a cognitive bias but a structural consequence of emergent cognitive reorganization. When learning triggers phase-transition-like restructuring, prior cognitive states cease to exist as accessible processing structures. The paper distinguishes weak and strong forms of the curse, proposes four testable predictions, and discusses implications for teaching ability and intelligent systems generally. Includes both English and Chinese versions. The core framework was independently proposed by the author, an independent researcher with no formal academic background. Literature retrieval and formatting were assisted by AI tools (Claude, Anthropic).