Social Systems and Learning Systems

✍ Scribed by A. F. G. Hanken, H. A. Reuver (auth.)

• Publisher: Springer Netherlands
• Year: 1981
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 253
• Series: Frontiers in Systems Research 4
• Edition: 1
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

In today's social and behavioral sciences, the complexity of many problems requires the development of a number of highly specialized disciplines. However, the cost of such development is the obscuring of the relationships between these disciplines. This dilemma calls for a "mixed strategy" that combines the advantages of specialization with those of a unified viewpoint. The purpose of this book is to provide the connective tissue that is needed to obtain an overall view. The principles of general system theory naturally lead to a framework that includes many known models and content areas; our intention is to strike a balance between generality and plain usefulness. The first part of this book introduces a social system as a network of inter­ acting decision makers. This general framework allows a classification of a num­ ber of more specific structures, which include autocratic and democratic systems, systems with collective and individual decision making, and systems with and without coalitions. In the second part, various psychological schools are seen as specific instances of a general paradigm, which is consequently a point of departure for a taxon­ omy of learning systems. For a full understanding of this matter, we recommend a careful study of the first four chapters as an introduction to the concepts elaborated in the second part of the book. ix PREFACE x Though the subject matter has a formal background, it does not require a mathematical knowledge in depth; familiarity with elementary probability theory and linear algebra is enough.

✦ Table of Contents

Front Matter....Pages i-x
Front Matter....Pages 1-1
System Theory: A Survey ....Pages 3-13
System Cell and Classification....Pages 14-22
The Concept of an Objective....Pages 23-50
Paradigm of a Social System....Pages 51-70
Models of Social Systems....Pages 71-85
Collective Systems without Communication....Pages 86-94
Collective Systems with Communication....Pages 95-103
Autonomous Two-Person Systems without Communication....Pages 104-113
Autonomous n -Person Systems and Dynamic Games....Pages 114-125
Two-Person Cooperative Games....Pages 126-139
Cooperative Games with n Persons....Pages 140-151
Hierarchical Systems....Pages 152-161
Conclusions....Pages 162-171
Back Matter....Pages 172-187
Front Matter....Pages 189-189
Learning Systems....Pages 191-204
Taxonomy of Learning Systems....Pages 205-210
Applications....Pages 211-225
Back Matter....Pages 226-228
Back Matter....Pages 229-246

✦ Subjects

Economics general