Circular Causality: Overview Flashcards
What is circular causality?
A concept where cause and effect are interdependent, creating feedback loops.
What is the difference between circular and linear causality?
Linear causality implies a one-way cause and effect, while circular causality implies mutual influence in a loop.
What are feedback loops in circular causality?
They occur when the output of a system feeds back as input, influencing future behavior.
What is positive feedback in circular causality?
Positive feedback amplifies changes and can cause growth or runaway effects.
What is negative feedback in circular causality?
Negative feedback stabilizes a system by counteracting changes, driving it toward equilibrium.
What does interdependence of variables mean in circular causality?
Variables are interconnected, with changes in one affecting others, which in turn affect the original variable.
What is an example of interdependence of variables in circular causality?
In family therapy, reciprocal influences between family members create a cyclical dynamic.
What is nonlinear dynamics in circular causality?
It refers to systems where output is not proportional to input, and small changes can lead to disproportionate outcomes.
What is an example of nonlinear dynamics?
Climate change, where rising temperatures cause ice to melt, which accelerates further warming.
What is a reciprocal relationship in circular causality?
A relationship where changes in one component affect and are affected by other components.
What is an example of a reciprocal relationship?
Predator-prey relationships where changes in one population influence the other.
What is self-organization in circular causality?
When components of a system evolve and adapt without external direction.
What is an example of self-organization?
A flock of birds coordinating their movements without a leader.
What is emergence in circular causality?
When interactions between components create new behaviors or outcomes that are not predictable from individual components.
What is an example of emergence?
In social systems, the collective behavior of a community, such as social norms, arises from individual interactions.
How did circular causality appear in ancient philosophy?
It was emphasized in Eastern philosophies like Taoism and Buddhism, and in Heraclitus’ philosophy of change.
Who developed General Systems Theory?
Ludwig von Bertalanffy, who emphasized feedback loops in living organisms and social systems.
What is cybernetics?
A field developed by Norbert Wiener that formalized the study of feedback and control systems.
What role does circular causality play in family systems theory?
It describes how behavior in families results from complex, reciprocal interactions rather than simple, linear cause and effect.
How is circular causality used in cognitive science?
It explains the feedback loops between perception, action, and the environment, as in embodied cognition.
What is an example of circular causality in developmental psychology?
Jean Piaget’s theory where learning occurs through a recursive process of assimilation and accommodation.
How does circular causality apply to ecology?
It explains reciprocal relationships between organisms and their environment, creating feedback loops that drive ecosystem dynamics.
What is resilience in environmental science?
The ability of ecosystems to absorb disturbances and reorganize through feedback processes.
How is circular causality used in economics?
It helps explain market dynamics, where supply and demand interact in feedback loops influencing prices, production, and consumption.
What is an example of circular causality in social systems?
Game theory and network theory explore how individual actions feed back into social or economic systems to produce collective outcomes.
How is circular causality applied in artificial intelligence?
AI systems use feedback loops to adjust based on data input, creating self-improving systems.
How might circular causality influence global challenges like climate change?
Feedback loops between human behavior, the environment, and policy decisions shape global responses to climate risks.
What role might circular causality play in neuroscience?
It helps explain feedback loops between the brain and body, and how consciousness may emerge through circular processes.
How might circular causality transform our understanding of physics?
Quantum theories suggest causality may not be entirely linear, opening possibilities for reciprocal causality at the quantum level.
How can circular causality be used in global governance?
It helps understand how political decisions, public opinion, and economic conditions interact in feedback loops, shaping global governance.
