Dissipation Effect in Causal Maps as a Source of Communication Problem

Abstract

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 interpret 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 constructorsof 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.