Kim, Dong-Hwan, "Psychological Gaps between Constructors and Interpreters of Causal Maps", 2005 July 17-2005 July 21
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This paper investigates psychological differences between constructors and interpreters of causal maps. This paper argues that dissipation effects and dilution effects applies to those who are to interprete causal maps not to those who construct them. Dissipation effects are psychological tendency that people perceive causal effect as weak as the number of causal links increases. Dilution effects occur when people undervalue the strength of causal relation as the number of causal variables increases. Experimental results show that concentration effects opposite to the dissipation effects and dilution effects explain more correctly the perception of constructors of causal maps. This paper points out that this asymmetric psychological tendencies between constructors and interpreters of causal maps is the psychological source of the communication problems between systems thinkers and their clients.