Feedback Loop
Updated 2026-08-11
INTRODUCTION
English translation pending.
CORE DEFINITION
The feedback loop is a core concept of cybernetics, developed by Norbert Wiener and central to system dynamics. Its core proposition is that a system's behavior over time is governed by the loops connecting its outputs back to its inputs, so understanding a system requires mapping those loops rather than cataloguing its parts. The key qualification is that loops operate with delay: when the lag between action and feedback is long, correction overshoots and produces oscillation that looks like external disturbance.
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
- Use loop mapping: draw which outputs feed back into which inputs of the system. - Use polarity check: label each loop as either amplifying or damping the change. - Use delay hunt: find where measurement lags action, because delay causes the system to overshoot.
Anchor fast decisions
Behavior in a complex system is produced by the interaction of its loops, not by any single component. A negative loop compares actual output with a target and applies correction, which keeps the system stable as long as the signal is timely. When measurement lags, correction arrives after the condition has changed, so the system overshoots and oscillates. A positive loop does the opposite, reinforcing whatever direction already exists, which produces exponential growth or collapse. Identifying loop polarity and delay explains why a system resists change or runs away.
MINIMUM ACTION
In progress 0/1Practice this model in one real situation:
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Source support: Explicit
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feedbackverified
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