PROCESS (Self-destructive)
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(2) |
| ID | ◀ 2654 ▶ |
| Object type | General information, Methodology or model |
A process affected by a repetitive feedback which tends to finally annulate it.
The feedback may be positive or negative. A positive feedback leads to the exhaustion of some input or environmental condition basic for the maintenance of the process or the survival of the system in which it is functional. Examples are the exhaustion of oxygen for a fire in a closed environment; the growing costs of scientific research, the progressive clogging of traffic by a growing number of vehicles and the acceleration of technological obsolescence.
The negative feedback reduces either the inputs or the width of the fluctuation band of the process, and progressively stifles it. Examples are starvation or reduced resilience in ageing living systems, or declining adaptability in an organization.
The only way to avoid self-destructiveness in processes is a convenient blend of negative and positive feedbacks.