Dynamical Systems Approach

History of Dynamical Systems Approaches to Groups

Most contemporary dynamical systems approaches to modeling groups were developed in the 1980s and 1990s, but precursors were evident decades earlier. Kurt Lewin, one of the founders of group dynamics, proposed an explicitly dynamic approach to studying groups in the 1940s. Application of his field theory approach, however, was hampered by the lack of appropriate methods. In the same era, Robert F. Bales (who was influenced by Lewin) developed one of the earliest methods to measure group interaction, using a finegrained scale that classified every statement in a group discussion. A statement might be a request for information, for example, or an expression of approval or support. The resulting time series of codes can be examined to detect recurring patterns over time.

A new wave of dynamical systems approaches to groups emerged in the 1980s. A few years earlier, in 1976, mathematician E. C. Zeeman published a catastrophe model designed to predict the sudden outbreak of prison riots based on a combination of tension and alienation. Catastrophe models are a set of mathematical models of discontinuous change such as explosions or the sudden collapse of a bridge. However, the adoption of such analytical techniques by psychologists was not evident until a decade later, after further groundwork adapting catastrophe models to data in the biological and social sciences occurred. The repertoire of dynamical systems applications to psychology was further developed during the rest of the 20th century by applying and adapting methods and concepts from chaos theory and complexity theory. Chaos theory revealed that seemingly small events can have a profound impact on how a dynamic system such as a group changes over time. The complexity theory concept of self-organization—the spontaneous emergence of new structure and order—provided insight into group formation and the emergence of roles, norms, and routines in member behavior.

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