A cognitive framework for engineering systems thinking

Engineering educators, researchers, and practitioners have recognized that a capacity for systems thinking is necessary for successful design of large scale, complex engineered systems. While early efforts have been made to classify behaviors, tendencies, and competencies of systems thinkers, there exist little rigorous understanding of the cognitive processes and skills in systems thinking. This paper establishes a connection between the concept of engineering systems thinking and well-studied processes from cognitive psychology. The eventual goal is development of a deeper understanding and a formal methodology for systems thinking. © 2016 Greene and Papalambros.

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