CYCLE (Functional)
Charles François (2004). CYCLE (Functional), International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics, 2(1): 799.
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(1) |
| ID | ◀ 799 ▶ |
| Object type | Discipline oriented, Methodology or model |
J.von UEXKÚLL was one of the first to recognize the existence of functional cycles (1928, reed. 1979), which became later on one of the most significative cybernetic models.
He recognized them as “indivisible wholes” (p.295) and established even a diagram of the regulation device, in which he recognized:
1) the reciprocal and cyclical action of the observer and the object.
2) the main parts of the cycle: the object, the perceptions device, the internal universe of the observer, with its comparing devices, the activating connections and the effector (p.158).
He used this diagram as a model to be applied to biological behavior and ethology, but its very general character is obvious.