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In an ever more complex and interrelated world, a better understanding of social systems and of the dynamics of their behavior is of crucial im portance. Many of the tools holding promise of potentially significant contributions to the analysis of social systems have been, or are being developed outside of the social sciences proper, mostly the loose collec tion of diverse scientific approaches called' systems science' or , systems theory' . The editors - all of whom are involved in social systems analysis - have made an attempt in this volume to pull together several aspects of systems science which appear to them to be of particular relevance to the study of social systems: Control systems, stochastic systems, pattern recog nition, fuzzy analysis, simulation, and behavioral models. 29 authors from the disciplines of sociology, social psychology, political science, management science, history, behavioral science, economics, mathematics, engineering, and systems science have contributed to this truly interdis ciplinary effort. All of them have made the attempt to write in a manner understandable by the non-specialist. It is hoped that this volume will be of particular usefulness to students in the social sciences. Most of the articles are too short to provide much more than an initial stimulation. We trust that the references provided by the authors will allow deeper penetration into particular areas.
List of contents
Systems Theories in the Social Sciences.- Systems Theories in the Social Sciences.- Control Theory and Stochastic Systems.- Stochastic System and Control Theory.- Empirical and Computational Aspects of Applying Control-Theoretic Concepts to Stochastic Social Dynamic Systems.- Structure and Dynamics of Sociological Systems.- Bilinear Control and Social Systems.- Simulation of Human Conformity Behavior by Means of a Dynamic Process Model.- N-Person Games and Economic Competition.- Pattern Recognition.- Pattern Recognition.- Pattern Recognition as a Model for Cognitive Processes.- Pattern Recognition Applied to Some Problems in Socio-Economics.- Fuzzy Analysis.- A Fuzzy-Algorithmic Approach to the Definition of Complex or Imprecise Concepts.- Fuzzy Models for Social Processes.- Fuzzy Concepts: Logic, Motivation, Application.- Linear Partial Information as Fuzziness.- Some Basic Issues Connected with Fuzzy Analysis.- Simulation.- Survey of the Mesarovic-Pestel World Model Project.- On the Methodological Evaluation of Simulation Studies.- Criticism of the Mesarovic-Pestel Model and a Possible Alternative.- Some Theses Concerning the Application of Mathematical System Theory in the Social Sciences.- Quantitative vs. Organic Growth - the Traditional Economic System Revised.- Simulation Models in a Social Environment: The Need for Dequantification.- A Four-Sector World Model: Approach and Results.- Behavioral Models.- Information Processing, Cognitive Dissonance, and Basic Needs: The Modelling of Behavior.- Basic Sociological Concepts for the Simulation of Political Decision-Making.- Perception and Social Psychology.- Cognitive Process Models and the Study of Foreign Policy Decision-Making.- Simulation and Gaming: The Analysis of Conflict and Cooperation in the Field of International Relations.- Multiattribute Utility Analysis - a Brief Survey.
