System Dynamics Flashcards
A methodology and mathematical modeling technique to frame, understand, and discuss complex issues and problems.
System Dynamics
A closed path of causal influences and information, forming a circular‐causal loop of information and action.
Feedback Loop
Stocks define static part of the system. Flows define how values of stocks change in time and thus define the dynamics of the system
Stock & Flow
A visual tool used to represent the cause-and-effect relationships among various system variables.
Causal Loop Diagram (CLD)
A feedback loop that amplifies change, leading to exponential growth or decline.
Reinforcing Loop
A feedback loop that counteracts change, promoting stability or equilibrium.
Balancing Loop
The use of computer models to study the behavior of systems and the impact of alternative policies.
Simulation
The assumptions and beliefs that individuals hold about how the world works.
Mental Model
The arrangement of and interactions between the components of a system.
System Structure
Generated from within a system, as opposed to exogenous, which is generated by external forces.
Endogenous
A characteristic of systems where the effect of changes is not proportional to their causes.
Nonlinearity
A delay between the cause and effect in a system, which can create oscillations or other dynamic behaviors.
Time Delay
The basic building blocks of system dynamics models, representing accumulations and their rates of change.
Stocks and Flows
The process of creating strategies and policies based on system dynamics analysis.
Policy Design
The dynamic behavior exhibited by a system over time.
System Behavior
