IDEAL-TYPE (Mechanical)
Charles François (2004). IDEAL-TYPE (Mechanical), International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics, 2(1): 1606.
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(1) |
| ID | ◀ 1606 ▶ |
| Object type | General information, Methodology or model |
SUTHERLAND describes as follows the characteristics of the mechanical ideal-types:
- “Interface conditions: Usually exist within well- defined, tangible boundaries which may be adjusted endogenously for greater or lesser selectivity with respect to entering or exciting forces.
- “Structural characteristics: Generally has its components arrayed in a neat, observable hierarchy, such that properties at one level tend to be extrapolations of properties at other levels, with relationships among the various levels being essentially deterministic.
- “Dynamic properties: Parts are usually highly constrained, having only a limited repertoire of responses permitted to them; causal trajectories and paths of interaction are generally fixed, controlable and exclusive; driving forces are generally tangible and measurable.
- “Normative analytical properties: Potentially total:- observability — measurability — manipulability - predictability.
- “Amenability to inference and induction: Given initial state conditions, future states may be induced with a high probability of accuracy” (1973, p.97).