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From SystemsWiki

Feedback is a characteristic of interaction between the parts of a system and comes in two forms, Reinforcing and Balancing.

• If "A" influences "B" and then "B" influences "A" such that promotes more of the same action on "B" the feedback is considered Reinforcing, or Positive.
  
  

  Fig. 1 - Reinforcing or Positive Feedback
• If "A" influences "B" and then "B" influences "A" in such a way that promotes less of the same action on "B" the feedback is considered Balancing, or Negative.
  
  

  Fig. 2 - Balancing or Negative Feedback

The idea of feedback generally becomes easier to understand when displayed amidst Causal Loop Diagrams. Reinforcing and Balancing feedback are the real basis of the emergent characteristics of a system.

Note: The color coding on the diagram is simply a preference of the author which makes it easier to rapidly spot the Reinforcing and Balancing interactions.

[edit] References

• [feedback.msys] MapSys Source

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