An Initial Examination into the Associative Nature of Systems Concepts

Systems thinking is the application of general system theory to problem solving. The concepts of general system theory are foundational in the field of Information Systems, especially information systems analysis and design. It has been stated that the principles underlying systems thinking are extremely intuitive (Senge, 1990). This study examined the intuitive nature of basic system theory constructs. Some system theory constructs are more intuitive than others. The constructs of Input and Output were found to be more intuitive than the constructs of Relationship and Boundary. The constructs of Component and Interface were not intuitive. In an introductory exposure to systems constructs, respondents were able to identify, on average, 2.5 out of 6 constructs correctly.