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| Version | User | Scope of changes |
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| Aug 14 2009, 9:17 AM EDT (current) | chachabooth | 242 words added, 1 photo added |
| Aug 14 2009, 4:49 AM EDT | chachabooth |
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Archetypes consist of causal loop diagrams and are depicting typical and problematic system structures. In systems thinking literature, quite a number of such archetypes are described. Let us start by an example in order to understand better what archetypes are: Think about what happened during the cold war, when the USA increased its weapons stockpile in order to increase security. This actually led to a decrease in security for all, as an arms race in nuclear weapons developed. Such a problematic system structure is called escalation and it means that two balancing loops interact in a way that creates a single reinforcing loop.
Example taken from: Continuous Improvement Associates, Systems Thinking Archetypes, p. 7 <http://www.exponentialimprovement.com/cms/uploads/ArchetypesGeneric02.pdf> (accessed 13 August 2009)
Archetypes can be useful when you want to answer the question: “Why is the same problem occurring over and over again over time?” With using archetypes you can gain insight into the nature of the underlying problem. But archetypes are generic in nature and thereby do often not pay attention to all important variables. Archetypes therefore provide more of a starting point for a further development of a model.
For more information about archetypes and examples, please refer to:
Example taken from: Continuous Improvement Associates, Systems Thinking Archetypes, p. 7 <http://www.exponentialimprovement.com/cms/uploads/ArchetypesGeneric02.pdf> (accessed 13 August 2009)
Archetypes can be useful when you want to answer the question: “Why is the same problem occurring over and over again over time?” With using archetypes you can gain insight into the nature of the underlying problem. But archetypes are generic in nature and thereby do often not pay attention to all important variables. Archetypes therefore provide more of a starting point for a further development of a model.
For more information about archetypes and examples, please refer to:
- Braun, William, The System Archetypes, 2002. <http://wwwu.uni-klu.ac.at/gossimit/pap/sd/wb_sysarch.pdf> (accessed 13 August 2009)
- Bellinger, Gene, Archetypes. Interaction Structures of the Universe, 2004. <www.systems-thinking.org/arch/arch.htm> (accessed 13 August 2009)
- Continuous Improvement Associates, Systems Thinking Archetypes. <http://www.exponentialimprovement.com/cms/uploads/ArchetypesGeneric02.pdf> (accessed 13 August 2009)
