A new double-lane roundabout has some issues with an offramp being very close to the exits from one side of the roundabout. There have been some safety concerns so I thought I'd look at the system to determine what the problems might be, if any, and to see if there are some viable solutions if some issues are brought to light.
Rules of roundabouts are: If in LL, you can turn left or go straight in LL. If in RL, you can go straight in RL or turn right, exiting in RL. For all cases, you must indicate asap before exiting but stay in your original chosen lane.
The Graph shows a type of heuristic and thinking process that can be
used by Systems Thinkers to solve
problems. It is particularly suited when the systems investigated are
intangible entities, such as a health system, political parties or ecosystems.
The observation leads to the construction of a mental model of the perceived
phenomenon and serves primarily to gain
understanding and to guide possible interventions. Although the mental model can be represented
as a causal-loop-diagram, it does not suggest a truthful representation of the
observed phenomenon that led to its creation. In fact, when it comes to
intangible entities it is impossible to know if the model created by the
observer(s) represents an actual entity out there and to what degree it might
be truthful. However, having a precise and truthful representation of the
phenomenon or situation modelled is not necessary for the model to be useful
and to guide practical interventions.
This is confirmed by the ideas of the German philosopher Hans Vaihinger.
Vaihinger speaks of ‘useful fictions’ and shows how useful hey can be useful to
navigate in the world- and, of course,
deal with complex situations. Here is a link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Philosophy_of_%27As_if%27
There is a thin broken line in the graph from ‘GAP to the investigated phenomenon. This link symbolizes the notion that only a
useful viability can be attributed to the model. This viability can be
established (or not) via small
intervention applied iteratively to the real-world situation. The model may
well turn out to be a very useful fiction.
The 'Psychobiologicla' model was described and articulated by the Australian psychiatrist Niall McLaren.
It consists of hormone releases, principally testosterone, when challenges arise. These rekeases are genetically governed and create psychological effects. The effects produce moods, feelings, and can provoke aggresssive and dominating behaviour.
The simplified model shows that on the perception of a challenging or threatening situation the testosterone level rises in men. Testosterone is a feel-good hormone that rewards aggression and domination with further releases. This mechanism is self-reinforcing, but can be tempered by personality factors and institutional constraints. As these are primeval processes and effects that are always present when challenges occur, the psychobiological model serves as excellent tool for understanding and interpreting conflicts.
Perspective
taking reveals aspects of complex systems.
This is a natural starting point for systemic investigations, since one
can only see aspects of complex systems and never the entire system. The graph
shows that investigating these aspects to get a deeper understanding requires examining them through appropriate interpretive
concepts of which systems thinking has many to offer. However, not all systems
thinking methodologies concentrate on the investigation the dynamic
feedback mechanism of systems. Systems thinking methodologies that ignore feedback mechanisms do not possess a suitable contextual vocabulary for their investigation, and as a result do not offer
any advantage over other investigative methodologies
when it comes to investigating the dynamic systems that are traditionally the
target of systemic investigation.
