Linear modeling of steady-state behavioral dynamics

The observed steady-state behavioral dynamics supported by unsignaled periods of reinforcement within repeating 2,000-s trials were modeled with a linear transfer function. These experiments employed improved schedule forms and analytical methods to improve the precision of the measured transfer function, compared to previous work. The refinements include both the use of multiple reinforcement periods that improve spectral coverage and averaging of independently determined transfer functions. A linear analysis was then used to predict behavior observed for three different test schedules. The fidelity of these predictions was determined.     

Chapter 2. Single Mothers' Transition to Self-Sufficiency

SUMMARY

In this chapter, I review the literature in four sections central to my research questions. First, I review the socio-historical context of trends that have had an impact on single mothers in transition from economic assistance to self-sufficiency. Next, I present research that focuses on poor women's interactions with barriers to work versus self-sufficiency. Then I examine the reported interactions between work, family role strain, and the psychological well-being of low-income women during their transition to work. Finally, I introduce related literature that reflects studies and reports on the outcomes of TANF after 1996.     

Evolutionary Pluralism: A New System of Systems Philosophy

When Darwin wrote his ‘On the origin of species…” (1859) he focused on evolution as a property of living organisms in interaction with abiotic and biotic elements in the world. This viewpoint is still dominant amongst biologists. For particle physicists and cosmologists evolution refers to a larger scale, ranging from quarks and atoms to galaxies, stars and planets (i.e. Pagels 1985, Hawking 1988). To close the gap between such different viewpoints, a wide range of perspectives on an interdisciplinary understanding of system development has been published (i.e. Teilhard de Chardin 1966, von Bertalanffy 1968, Varela 1979, Prigogine and Stengers 1984, Laszlo 1996). As an integrative concept, the construction of nature from a hierarchy of system layers forms a central tenet in general system research and the stepwise construction of this layered hierarchy can be regarded as an interdisciplinary evolution theory. Surprisingly, the literature offers no unequivocal rules to recognise a multilayer hierarchy in nature. This presents an obstacle for interdisciplinary approaches to evolution.

Searching a solution to part of the above hierarchy problem, the present paper is dedicated to the analysis of a special kind of layering in natural systems, which is based on transitions between ‘building block’ systems. To identify these building blocks, and the transitions from building block x at level A, to building block y at level B, the focus of this study is further limited to ‘hypercydic dynamics’ and ‘containment’. On the basis of these criteria, a hierarchy is created which shows no possibilities for ‘bypasses’. It connects hadrons to atoms, atoms to cells, and cells to neural networks. Implications of this hierarchy for system studies and evolution are discussed.     

Suggested reading

The problem of mystical/meditational experience is discussed from the point of view of the neural network theory, considering also the approach to (sub) quantum physics by Bohm and Hiley. It has been argued that the appearance of global uniform neural patterns, i.e. those with coherent activities of constitutive neurons, function as the basis of mystical unity. Various processes occurring as the result of the collective dynamics of a complex neural system are compared and correlated with mystical phenomenology on the one hand, and with quantum processes or neurophysiological effects on the other. Awareness may be a quantum phenomenon, so some speculations about neural‐quantum interactions and analogies are presented. The contact with the symmetric subquantum “sea”, in which the brain is embedded, may provide the background for the most radical experiences. Special attention is devoted to implicit versus explicit mental and transcendental processes, and to their multi‐level parallelism. Evolution towards transcendental consciousness brings an alternative lifestyle for the future.     

“Beyond Frontiers of Traditional Project Management”: The Concept of “Project Management Second Order (PM-2)” as an Approach of Evolutionary Management

Fundamental changes in sciences offer new perspectives for the management of complexity. Increased complexity in society, economics, and technology requires a new and suitable organization and management. What are the consequences and results for project management? That is the theme of this article. First of all it will given a short introduction to project management, which will be later called “traditional project management” or “project management 1st order (PM-1).” Then, the challenges by the fundamental changes in sciences and the increased complexity in society, economics, and technology will be discussed. It will state that traditional project management cannot solve these challenges. The widespread working-themes and results of the research program “Beyond Frontiers of Traditional Project Management” as an answer to these challenges will be presented at a glance. Subsequently, it will discuss some selected results of the research program:

• The principle-definition and foundation of “Evolution of 1st and 2nd Order.”

• The Evolution of 1st Order and the impact on Project Management methods and processes.

• Evolution of 2nd Order and the Grand Evolutionary Systems Theory (GEST) of E. Laszlo as also the impact on Project Management methods and processes.

• Management of crisis: turn a change to advantage or risk-assurance?

Thereafter, the concept of “Project Management Second Order (PM-2)” is presented as a highlighted result of the research program, as a new paradigm in project management, and as an answer to the challenges, described earlier will be explained in detail. Finally, a real example of transfer evolutionary and self-organizational management principles in a real project life will be demonstrated.     

Ecosystems and society: Implications for sustainable development

Human systems are interacting with, and dependent on, the global ecosystem. These complex interconnected systems have to obey natural laws and system laws in order to remain viable in the long‐term. “Sustainable development” therefore has to adhere to certain principles and constraints which derive partially from physical conditions, partially from principles of (evolving) ecosystems, partially from principles applying to human systems with conscious actors and normative standards. Although “sustainable development” constrains the spectrum of permissible processes, it does not define a final steady state. The development process must be guided by reference to an ethical principle and to the balanced satisfaction of the basic orientors resulting from a system's interaction with its environment. The systems perspective required encompasses a wide range of scientific disciplines, for which a comprehensive bibliography is provided.     

Chaos and designing social systems

Growing appreciation of work done in the past several decades in complexity science is changing how we see the world. Efforts to apply what has been learned there to human systems such as organizations, perhaps through metaphor, challenges our views of social structures and how we may influence their organization and functioning. This article considers the implications of some key propositions from chaos theory for the design of social systems.     

Darwin's lost theory and its implications for the 21st century

This paper reports the reconstruction of the long ignored “second half” or human level completion for Darwin's theory of evolution. Pursuing the striking contradictions between what has been attributed to Darwin by his neo‐Darwinian and sociobiological heirs and what he actually said, in ignored sections of The Descent of Man and Darwin's long unpublished notebooks it uncovers a three‐level theory of the moral agent that foreshadows the emergence of 20th century social science and the late 20th century rise of the fields of systems science and humanistic psychology. Implications for a joint venture of natural science and social science in the completion of the humanistic and action‐oriented theory of evolution called for by the species‐threatening challenges of the 21st century are considered.     

The three eras of cosmic evolution

The time‐honored concept of change seems capable of accounting for the appearance of matter from the primal energy of the Universe, and in turn for the emergence of life from that matter. As sentient beings, we, perhaps along with other advanced life forms in the cosmos, have become the collective consciousness of the Universe. Our raison d'etre is our ability to appreciate the cosmos—to wonder, to introspect, to abstract, to explain—for technological intelligence is a preeminently evolved agent of the Universe.     

The emergence of brain and mind amid chaos through maximum‐power evolution

A new brain algorithm based Neurological Positivism (NP) is described that is reconcilable with emergent evolution. The maximum‐power evolution of brain and mind amid chaos is described. It is proposed that with the maximum‐power evolution of mind (a) a chaotic/fractal dynamical algorithmic isomorphy among world, brain, and mind is erected, and (b) we witness the origin of the mechanism of evolutionary epistemology—the origin of knowing energy. The maximum‐power evolution of symbols is described as resulting from features of chaos and fractal geometry. Finally, a neurological positivistic explanation of the workability of mathematics in the real world is proposed.