Systems Thinking Flashcards

1
Q

4 Building Blocks of Systems Thinking

A
  1. Circles of Causality
  2. Reinforcing Feedback
  3. Delays
  4. Balancing Feedback
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2
Q

Tools for Systems Thinking and Modeling

A
  1. Dynamics: graph over time

2. Structure: Causal-loop Diagrams

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3
Q

The ability to ____ when there may be a systematic structure driving the results in one quality of a developed thinker

A

Sense

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4
Q

4 Steps in Systems Thinking

A
  1. Focus on a specific problem
  2. Identify the critical variables
  3. Graph the behavior of the key variables time (BOT)
  4. Develop a causal loop diagram
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5
Q

Causal Loop Construction: The Basics

A
  1. Create variable
  2. Draw the links
  3. Label the loop
  4. Talk through the loop
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6
Q

Is a causal relationship drawn from the cause to effect.

A

Link

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7
Q

The ____ of the link is placed by the
Arrowhead and tells the direction of change:
S = same direction
O= opposite direction

A

Sign

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8
Q

The ____ indicates the resulting nature of all the relationships in the loop: B = Balancing Loop
R= Reinforcing Loop

A

Loop Notation

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9
Q

Tells of the significant time lapse between cause and effect

A

Delay

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10
Q

Quality of quantity that can vary upward and downward.

A

Variable

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11
Q

The powerful tool for representing structure in complex systems.

A

Causal Mapping

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12
Q

It indicates causal influence.

A

Arrows

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13
Q

It shows the direction of Causality.

A

Positive and negative signs
+ = Direct relation
- = inverse relation

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14
Q

It exists when decision change the state of the system, changing the conditions and informations that influence future decisions.

A

Feedback Loop

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15
Q

2 Kinds of Feedback Loops

A
  1. Reinforcing loops

2. Counteracting loops

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16
Q

This is kind of feedback loops that are responsible for accelerating growth, accelerating decline, or traps due to inertia

A

Reinforcing Loops

17
Q

Kind of feedback loops that are much more prevalent but often obvious; they balance and adapt.

A

Counteracting loops

18
Q

“all else being equal” or?

A

Ceteris Paribus

19
Q

Constructed by assuming ceteris peribus, or all else being equal when assessing the direction of change in a relationship.

A

Causal loops

20
Q

Characteristics of Complex Systems

A
  1. Interconnected
  2. Dynamic
  3. Cause and effect
  4. Policy resistant
  5. Counterintuitive
  6. Long-run behavior
21
Q

“Everything influences everything else”

A

Interconnected

22
Q

Change occurs on many time scales (characteristics of complex system)

23
Q

Obvious solutions fail or actually worsen the situations (char of complex systems)

A

Policy resistant

24
Q

Systems Thinking helps us:

A
  1. Represent our own mental models
  2. Elicit the mental models of others
  3. Discuss and challenge ideas
  4. Reconcile model differences
25
Purpose of Systems Thinking
1. Understanding how the system structure creates the behavior we observe 2. Represent short and long-term effects of actions 3. Anticipate the side effects of decisions 4. Evaluate the consequences of alternatives
26
Effective leverage points are not so obvious
Counterintuitive