GuidelinesforDrawingCausalLoopDiagramsGuidelinesforDrawingCausalLoopDiagramsGuidelineExampleSelectingVariableNames1.Whenchoosingavariablename,usenouns.Avoidverbsandactionphrasessincetheactionisconveyedinthearrows.Forexample,“Costs”isbetterthan“IncreasingCosts,”sinceadecreaseinIncreasingCostsisconfusing.Thesignofthearrow(“s”forsameor“o”foropposite)indicateswhetherCostsincreaseordecreaserelativetotheothervariable.LitigationCostsIncreasingCosts2.Variablesshouldbesomethingthatcanbemeasured—quantitiesthatcanvaryovertime.Itdoesnotmakesensetosaythat“StateofMind”increasesordecreases.Atermlike“Happiness,”ontheotherhand,canvary.RewardsHappinessStateofMind3.Choosingthe“positive”senseofavariablenameispreferable.Anincreaseordecreasein“Growth”isclearerthananincreaseordecreasein“Contraction.”DemandGrowthContractionLoopConstruction4.Foreverycourseofactionincludedinthediagram,thinkofthepossibleunintendedconsequencesaswellastheexpectedoutcomes.Anincreasein“ProductionPressure”mayincrease“ProductionOutput,”forexample,butitmayalsoincrease“Stress”anddecrease“Quality.”S---------ProductionOuputProductionPressureS---------StressO--------Qualityp:\...\materials\graphic\causlp.doc)15/4/2025jbGuidelinesforDrawingCausalLoopDiagrams5.Allbalancingloopsaregoal-seekingprocesses.Trytomakegoalsdrivingtheloopexplicit.Forexample,LoopB1mayraisequestionsastowhyincreasing“Quality”wouldleadtoadecreasein“ActionstoImproveQuality.”Byexplicitlyidentifying“DesiredQuality”asthegoalinLoopB2,weseethatatthe“GapinQuality”isreallydrivingimprovementactions.QualitySB1ActionstoImproveQualityOQualitySB2ActionstoImproveQualityOGapinQualityDesiredQualityS6.Distiguishingbetweenperceivedandactualstates,suchas“PerceivedQuality”vs.“ActualQuality,”isimportant.Perceptionsoftenlagreality,andmistakingtheperceivedstatusforcurrentrealitycanbemisleadingandcreateundesirableresults.DelaySSSDesiredQualityPerceivedQualityR1ActualQualityB2ActionstoImproveQualityOGapinQualityS7.Iftherearemultipleconsequencesofavariable,startbylumpingthemintoonetermwhilefinishingtherestoftheloop.Forexample,“CopingStrategies”canrepresentmanydifferentwayswerespondtostress(exercise,meditation,alcoholuse,etc).B2STRESSOSCopingStrategiesB8.Therearealmostalwaysdifferinglong-termandshort-termconsequencesofactions.Drawloopswithincreasingradiusastheyprogressfromshort-termbehaviorofusingalcoholtocombatstress.LoopR1,however,drawsoutthelong-termconsequenceswhichwillactuallyincreasestress.R1B2STRESSOOB1SAlcoholUseSProductivityHealthp:\...\materials\graphic\causlp.doc)25/4/2025jbGuidelinesforDrawingCausalLoopDiagramsGeneralTips9.Ifalinkbetweentwotermsisnotcleartoothersandrequiresalotofexplaining,thevariablesprobablyneedtoberedefinedoranintermediatetermneedstobeinserted.“HigherDemand”leadingtolower“Quality”maybelessobviousthanwhen“ProductionPressure”isinsertedinbetween.ODemand-------------------------------------------QualitySODemand---------ProductionPressure--------Quality10.Ashort-cuttodeterminingwhetheraloopisbalancing(B)orreinforcing(R)istocountthenumberof“o’s”intheloop.Anoddnumberof“o’s”indicatesabalancingloop,anevennumber(ornone)meansitisareinforcingloop.CAUTION:Afterlabelingtheloop,youshouldalwaystalkyourselfaroundtheloopandmakesurethestoryagreeswithyourRorBlabel.BankFailuresRWithdrawalsfromBankODepositors’ConfidenceSolvency4“o’s”=Rp:\...\materials\graphic\causlp.doc)35/4/2025jb
