ABSTRACT
A very simple system is one whose output is a simple integration of all its input. Behaviorism was an attempt to explain human behavior using the logic of such a simple system. In control theory, such a system would be called open-loop. Variations in the open-loop gain have a larger effect than variations of the closed-loop gain. The thermostat controls for regulating room temperature are typically designed as closed-loop, negative feedback controllers. These controllers run the heating plants until the room temperature matches the reference temperature specified for the room. The proportioning of muscular response can also be critical as human’s close-the-loop in many complex sociotechnical systems. The arm tremor and the pilot-involved oscillations are prototypical examples of how a negative feedback control system will behave if the gain is too high relative to the time delays and other dynamic constraints on the system.
