Subject: Systems Language - closed loops

Posted by Tim Joy on 2/6/2010
In Reply To:Systems Language - closed loops Posted by Michael Round on 2/5/2010

Message:

Let's consider this closed loop of how a student might spend her time in the afternoon and evening:

> The more time you spend playing basketball the less time you spend on hw less time on hw worse grades worse grades more likely mom will ground you from playing basketball means less time playing bb

We can all imagine the causal loop diagram that describes this circular causality.

There's clearly a delay in this, though. While the young athlete plays daily, the homework not being done remains generally hidden from mom (trust me on this - we see it all the time!). Several weeks will pass before mom grow suspicious, why doesn't my daughter have more homework? maybe there is a call home from a teacher, and, finally, at the 4th week or the 6th weed, the progress report shows up. Some stock is filling. And it ramps up to some threshold, or series of thresholds that trigger a response.

We begin to imagine that Eric's story might yield increasing complexity depending on our audience: the closed loop sequence (perhaps with the double-line mark to indicate delay) with elementary students; a CLD with multiple loops and delays (improving bb skills, response of coach to key player with ineligible player, et al) to middle school students; a stock and flow map that describes the growing suspicions of mom, the academic tasks starting to outdistance the academic skills of the student in the high school students; and, finally, simulated runs of this classic school experience.

SD ought to help us with complex social systems. The 14 year's life certainly qualifies! Intriguing to imagine counselors with such training.

Tim Joy