Glossary / Lexicon

Deutsch: Kybernetik / Español: Cibernética / Português: Cibernética / Français: Cybernétique / Italiano: Cibernetica

Cybernetics in the psychology context refers to the study of systems, control, and communication in living organisms, machines, and organisations, focusing on how information is processed and used to regulate behaviour and maintain stability. Originating as an interdisciplinary field that includes engineering, computer science, biology, and psychology, cybernetics explores how feedback loops and self-regulation principles can be applied to understand human behaviour and mental processes.

Description

Cybernetics was first developed in the mid-20th century by mathematician Norbert Wiener, who defined it as the study of "control and communication in the animal and the machine." In psychology, cybernetics examines how humans and other systems process information, make decisions, adapt to changes, and maintain balance through feedback mechanisms.

A central concept in cybernetics is the feedback loop, which involves taking outputs from a system and feeding them back as inputs to regulate the system's functioning. This can be seen in various psychological processes, such as how individuals adjust their behaviours based on the outcomes of previous actions or how they regulate emotions in response to feedback from their environment.

Cybernetic models have influenced various psychological theories and practices, including:

• Self-regulation: How individuals monitor and adjust their behaviour to achieve goals or maintain emotional stability.
• Therapeutic systems: In family therapy and other systemic therapies, cybernetic principles help understand how communication patterns and feedback within a family or group influence overall functioning.
• Cognitive-behavioural frameworks: Cybernetics provides a framework for understanding how thoughts, emotions, and behaviours interact within feedback loops.
• Learning and adaptation: In learning theories, cybernetics helps explain how individuals adapt to new information and modify behaviours based on past experiences.

In a broader sense, cybernetics in psychology addresses how complex systems, whether in humans or machines, use information to regulate themselves and adapt to their environments. It has applications in artificial intelligence, robotics, and the development of technologies that mimic human cognitive processes.

Application Areas

Cybernetics is applied in various psychological contexts, including:

1. Self-Regulation and Behavioural Control: Understanding how feedback mechanisms help individuals regulate actions, emotions, and thoughts.
2. Systemic Therapy: Using cybernetic principles to analyse family dynamics, communication patterns, and feedback loops within therapy to promote healthier interactions.
3. Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT): Applying concepts of feedback and self-regulation to help individuals modify maladaptive thought and behaviour patterns.
4. Human-Computer Interaction: Exploring how humans interact with machines and technologies, using cybernetic principles to enhance usability and functionality.
5. Learning and Adaptation Models: Studying how individuals and systems learn from feedback, adjust behaviours, and improve performance over time.

Well-Known Examples

1. Family Systems Therapy: Cybernetic concepts are used to understand how family members’ behaviours influence each other, creating patterns that can either support or hinder healthy functioning.
2. Biofeedback: A technique that uses electronic monitoring to provide individuals with real-time feedback about physiological processes, helping them gain control over certain bodily functions.
3. Thermostat Analogy: A common example of a feedback loop, where a thermostat adjusts the temperature of a room by receiving feedback from the environment, similar to how humans adjust behaviours based on outcomes.
4. Learning Algorithms in AI: Cybernetic principles are applied in artificial intelligence and machine learning to create systems that can learn and adapt based on feedback, emulating human cognitive processes.

Treatment and Risks

In therapeutic contexts, understanding cybernetic principles can aid in designing interventions that consider the feedback loops present in an individual's behaviour or within group dynamics. For example, in systemic therapy, recognising negative feedback patterns can help therapists intervene to promote positive change.

However, one risk in applying cybernetic concepts is the potential for oversimplification of human behaviours by reducing them to mere input-output processes, which might neglect the complexities of human emotions, consciousness, and social factors. It is essential to balance the technical aspects of cybernetics with a deep understanding of human experience and context.

Similar Terms

• Systems Theory: A broader theoretical framework that studies the interactions and interdependencies within complex systems, including families, organisations, and ecological systems.
• Feedback Loop: A core concept in cybernetics, involving the process of taking outputs of a system and feeding them back as inputs to influence future behaviour.
• Control Theory: A related concept focusing on how systems maintain desired states through control mechanisms and feedback.
• Adaptive Systems: Systems that adjust their behaviour in response to changes in the environment, guided by feedback processes.

Summary

Cybernetics in psychology explores how systems, including humans, regulate behaviour and adapt through feedback and communication processes. By understanding these principles, psychologists can better analyse and influence self-regulation, learning, and interaction patterns within individuals and groups. Cybernetic concepts provide valuable insights into the mechanisms of behaviour change, emotional regulation, and the dynamics of complex systems, bridging the gap between human cognition and machine learning.

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