Systems Theory (original) (raw)

Systems Theories: Their origins, foundations, and development

Advances in psychology, 1998

In it's broadest conception, a "system" may be described as a complex of interacting components together with the relationships among them that permit the identification of a boundary-maintaining entity or process. Since social and psychological phenomena tend to resist quantitative modeling by posing basic difficulties already on the plane of boundary identification, alternative approaches must be relied upon. One such approach draws on the body of knowledge derived from General System Theory and its application in the domain of human activity systems.

A Review of Systems: New Paradigms for the Human Sciences

Review of Systems: New Paradigms, 2001

This essay is a selective review of Systems: New Paradigms for the Human Sciences, edited by Gabriel Altmann and Walter A. Koch (Berlin: Walter de Gryter, 1998). It is selective because it is impossible to engage such a varied collection of systems-theoretic essays in a review ...

Systems theories and a priori aspects of perception

1998

Preface. List of Contributors. Historical Perspective. Control systems with a priori intentions register environmental disturbances a posteriori (W.A. Hershberger). William James, chaos theory, and conscious experience (A.R. Bailey). Systems theories: their origins, foundations, and development (A. Laszlo, S. Krippner). Systems-theoretical Models of Perception. Neural networks and perception (I.E. Dror, C.S. Schreiner). Broad mindedness and perceptual flexibility: lessons from dynamic ecosystems (W.A. Johnston et al.). Sensory capture and the projection of conscious perception (T.M. Cowan et al.). Systems-theoretical Models of Perception and Action. Perceiving one's own action--and what it leads to (B. Hommel). Intentionality, perception, and autocatalytic closure: a potential means of repaying psychology's conceptual debt (J.Scott Jordan). What do event-related brain potentials tell us about the organization of action: cognitive-psychological and biological approaches (B. K...

Traditions of Systems theory: An Observer Report

Constructivist Foundations Vol. 15, No. 1, 78-81, 2019

> Abstract • Despite some questionable decisions regarding its organization , this anthology is an interesting read and a valuable general education resource concerning the intellectual history, and subsequent evolution, of systems theory. The book details early conceptual landmarks while emphasizing latter-day developments and applications, in particular in the context of cultural studies and the socio-economical sciences. While commenting on the book's form and content I also raise questions concerning systems theory's standing in relation to such themes as consciousness, constructivism, and the machine metaphor.

On the role of general system theory in the cognitive process

The cognitive process of an open goal-seeking system can be analyzed in terms of its interaction with its environment. From the point of view of the system, this interaction means the appearance of problem situations. Some of these problem situations become actual problems to be solved by the system and others do not. Therefore the cognitive process can be analyzed in terms of the functioning of a complex problem-solving system, i.e., the cognitive process is a complicated problem-solving process which anticipates the sequential solution of problems that require various kinds of problem-solving systems. The purpose of the present study is to describe the various problem types and to analyze the requirements of their individual adequate problem-solving systems. The role that the General Systems Theory (GST) plays in the working of the individual solving systems will be analyzed here. 1. Problem-solving The functioning of an open, goal-seeking system can be analyzed in terms of its interaction with its environment. The environment of a system is here understood to be a universe that, being a logical system, can be regarded as a set of statements. The environment therefore acts on the system via statements. Depending on the corpus of knowledge embodied in the system, a statement may be comprehensible or incomprehensible. Statements of the latter kind are what we call problems 1. Some statements represent marginal cases; that is, although they are not understood by the system, they are potentially comprehensible to it. These we can call actualizable problems. The development of the system is related precisely to these: if it draws on this potentiality of problem-solving which results in understanding such a statement, then its corpus of knowledge will be extended, while its level of knowledge, which separates the comprehensible from the incomprehensible, will be raised, and thereby newer problems will be brought into a position where they are potentially capable of being solved. The knowledge of a system concerning its universe appears in the form of statements formulated in a

Basic Notions and Models in Systems Science

Lecture Notes of the Institute for Computer Sciences, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering, 2009

The development of the idea of seeing parts of the world as 'related objects' or the 'systemic view' and its relation to conventional science is briefly described. Concepts in the systemic view regarded as fundamental and their expression as linguistic and mathematical models which would turn this view into 'systems science', are introduced. Products are represented as sets and linguistic networks of ordered pairs. Semantic diagrams describe the dynamics of change. A case study to illustrate the basic notions and models is given.

Evolution of the Concept of System and Systems Approach

Актуальні питання у сучасній науці

Taking into account that all systems tend to function in the same way, the authors emphasize the significance of a deep understanding of the concept of a system for any scientific research. A holistic view of the concept of a system, its development, and its application gives deep understanding of how to organize the process of scientific research effectively. Therefore, this retrospective view provides insight into the past contributions of system thinkers, researchers, and educators to the evolutionary development and application of the concept of systems in different fields of knowledge. The article aims to review the concept of system, analyze the definitions of "system" in dictionaries and scientific research, compare the ontological, epistemological, and methodological interpretation of the term "system" from general to special, trace the genesis of the system; evaluate different concepts. In the research, data collection and analysis were used to trace the development of the concept of a system. Concept review, as a study type, was used to evaluate different meanings of the concept of a system to figure out which one is the most appropriate in the system of higher education. The analysis was structured around the theoretical and methodological foundations of the concept of a system.