INTRODUCTION TO THE CONTROL SYSTEMS GROUP (CSG)
AND THE CONTROL SYSTEMS GROUP NETWORK (CSGnet)
Prepared by Dag Forssell with Gary Cziko
Updated 1995.02.03
This introduction provides information about:
Our Subject: Perceptual Control Theory
The Evolution of the Control Paradigm
Demonstrating the Phenomenon of Control
The Purpose of CSGnet
CSGnet Participants
Asking Questions
The Control Systems Group
Accessing and Subscribing to CSGnet
Gopher and World-Wide Web
References
Order Forms
OUR SUBJECT: PERCEPTUAL CONTROL THEORY
Here are introductions by Bill and Mary Powers:
* * * * * * * *
There have been two paradigms in the behavioral sciences since the
1600's. One was the idea that events impinging on organisms make them
behave as they do. The other, which was developed in the 1930's, is
PERCEPTUAL CONTROL THEORY (PCT). Perceptual Control Theory explains how
organisms control what happens to them. This means all organisms from the
amoeba to humankind. It explains why one organism can't control another
without physical violence. It explains why people deprived of any major
part of their ability to control soon become dysfunctional, lose interest
in life, pine away and die. It explains what a goal is, how goals relate
to action, how action affects perceptions and how perceptions define the
reality in which we live and move and have our being. Perceptual Control
Theory is the first scientific theory that can handle all these phenomena
within a single, testable concept of how living systems work.
William T. Powers, November 3, 1991
* * * * * * * *
While the existence of control mechanisms and processes (such as
feedback) in living systems is generally recognized, the implications of
control organization go far beyond what is generally accepted. We believe
that a fundamental characteristic of organisms is their ability to
control; that they are, in fact, living control systems. To distinguish
this approach from others using some version of control theory but
forcing it to fit conventional approaches, we call ours Perceptual
Control Theory, or PCT.
PCT requires a major shift in thinking from the traditional approach:
that what is controlled is not behavior, but perception. Modelling
behavior as a dependent variable, as a response to stimuli, provides no
explanation for the phenomenon of achieving consistent ends through
varying means, and requires an extensive use of statistics to achieve
modest (to the point of meaningless) correlations. Attempts to model
behavior as planned and computed output can be demonstrated to require
levels of precise calculation that are unobtainable in a physical system,
and impossible in a real environment that is changing from one moment to
the next. The PCT model views behavior as the means by which a perceived
state of affairs is brought to and maintained at a reference state. This
approach provides a physically plausible explanation for the consistency
of outcomes and the variability of means.
The PCT model has been used to simulate phenomena as diverse as bacterial
chemotaxis, tracking a target, and behavior in crowds. In its elaborated
form, a hierarchy of perceptual control systems (HPCT), it has lent
itself to a computer simulation of tracking, including learning to track,
and to new approaches to education, management, and psychotherapy.
Control systems are not new in the life sciences. However, numerous
misapprehensions exist, passed down from what was learned about control
theory by non-engineers 40 or 50 years ago without further reference to
newer developments or correction of initial misunderstandings. References
in the literature to the desirability of positive feedback and the
assertion that systems with feedback are slower than S-R systems are
simply false, and concerns about stability are unfounded.
The primary barrier to the adoption of PCT concepts is the belief--or
hope--that control theory can simply be absorbed into the mainstream life
sciences without disturbing the status quo. It is very hard to believe
that one's training and life work, and that of one's mentors, and their
mentors, must be fundamentally revised. Therefore, PCT appeals to those
who feel some dissatisfaction with the status quo, or who are attracted
to the idea of a generative model with broad application throughout the
life sciences (plus AI and robotics). There are very few people working
in PCT research. Much of its promise is still simply promise, and it
meets resistance from all sides. It is frustrating but also tremendously
exciting to be a part of the group who believe that they are
participating in the birth of a true science of life.
Mary Powers, November 1992
* * * * * * * *
THE EVOLUTION OF THE CONTROL PARADIGM
The PCT paradigm originates in 1927, when an engineer named Harold Black
completed the technical analysis of closed loop control systems. He was
working with the negative feedback amplifier, which is a control device.
This led to a new engineering discipline and the development of many
purposeful machines. Purposeful machines have built-in intent to achieve
consistent ends by variable means under changing conditions.
The explanation for the phenomenon of control is the first alternative to
the linear cause-effect perspective ever proposed in any science.
The first discussion of purposeful machines and people came in 1943 in a
paper called: Behavior, Purpose and Teleology by Rosenblueth, Wiener and
Bigelow. This paper also argued that purpose belongs in science as a real
phenomenon in the present. Purpose does not mean that somehow the future
influences the present.
The first specific suggestion on how to use the concept of control to
understand people came in 1957 in a paper entitled: A General Feedback
Theory of Human Behavior by McFarland, Powers and Clark.
In 1973 William T. (Bill) Powers published a seminal book called
"Behavior: the Control of Perception," which still is the major reference
for PCT. See literature below.
This book spells out a complete model of how the human brain and nervous
system works like a living perceptual control system. Our brain can be
viewed as a system that controls its own perceptions. This view suggests
explanations for many previously mysterious aspects of how people
interact with their world.
Perceptual Control Theory has been accepted by independently thinking
psychologists, scientists and other interested people. The result is that
an association has been formed (the Control System Group), several books
published, this CSGnet set up and that at latest count 16 professors are
teaching PCT in American universities today.
DEMONSTRATING THE PHENOMENON OF CONTROL
The phenomenon of control is largely unrecognized in science today. It is
not well understood in important aspects even by many control engineers.
Yet the phenomenon of control, when it is recognized and understood,
provides a powerful enhancement to scientific perspectives.
It is essential to recognize that this phenomenon exists and deserves an
explanation before any of the discourse on CSGnet will make sense.
Please download the introductory demonstration (demo1). See "How to
obtain text and program files" below for obtaining files via FTP, Gopher,
and e-mail.
THE PURPOSE OF CSGnet
CSGnet provides a forum for development, use and testing of PCT.
CSGnet PARTICIPANTS
Many interests and backgrounds are represented here. Psychology,
Sociology, Linguistics, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Social Work,
Neurology, Modeling and Testing. All are represented and discussed. As of
June 1994 there were about 130 individuals from 17 countries subscribed
to CSGnet.
ASKING QUESTIONS
Please introduce yourself with a statement of your professional interests
and background. It will help someone answer if you spell out which
demonstrations, introductory papers and references you have taken the
time to digest.
THE CONTROL SYSTEMS GROUP
The CSG is an organization of people in the behavioral, social, and life
sciences who see the potential in PCT for increased understanding in
their own fields and for the unification of diverse and fragmented
specialties.
Annual dues are $20 for full members and $5 for students.
The eleventh North American annual meeting of the CSG will held in
Durango, Colorado, on the campus of Fort Lewis College). It will be held
19-23 July 1995. There will be 7 plenary meetings (mornings and
evenings), with afternoons, mealtimes, and late night free for further
discussion or recreation. Full details will be available on CSGnet or by
mail after April 1, 1995. The second meeting of the European Control
Systems Group (ECSG) will be held in 1996. Details to be arranged and
posted on this net.
For membership information write:
CSG, c/o Mary Powers, 73 Ridge Place CR 510, Durango, CO
81301-8136 or send e-mail to <POWERS_W%FLC@VAXF.COLORADO.EDU>.
ACCESSING AND SUBSCRIBING TO CSGnet
CSGnet can also be accessed via Usenet where it is listed as the
newsgroup "bit.listserv.csg-l" or "bit.sci.behavior-purposive"
To subscribe to the listserv version of CSGnet, and learn about options &
commands, subscribers and archives, send a message to
Internet:
LISTSERV@VMD.CSO.UIUC.EDU
Message: (Comments: Not part of your message)
SUBSCRIBE CSG-L Firstname Lastname Institution (Your OWN name & institution)
HELP (Basic introduction to commands)
INFO REFCARD (Comprehensive reference of commands)
SET CSG-L DIGEST (All CSG-L mail delivered once a day)
SET CSG-L REPRO (Get copy of your own posts to CSGnet)
SET CSG-L ACK (Get acknowledgement of own posts to CSG-L)
QUERY CSG-L (Your mail status & options)
REVIEW CSG-L (COUNTRIES (Subsribers & addresses, by country)
INDEX CSG-L (List of archive files available to you)
SET CSG-L NOMAIL (Temporarily suspend delivery of posts from CSG-Lt)
SET CSG-L MAIL (Resume delivery of posts from CSG-L)
GET CSG-L LOG9412C (Get archive for 3rd week ("C") of Dec 1994--shown here
as an example only)
UNSUB CSG-L (Remove yourself from CSG-L)
For the "unsub" command to work, the command must be sent with the same
return address used for the original "subscribe" command.
Messages to the entire CSGnet community should be addressed to
<CSG-L@VMD.CSO.UIUC.EDU> (Internet) or <CSG-L@UIUCVMD> (Bitnet).
For more information about accessing CSGnet, contact Gary Cziko, the
network manager, at <G-CZIKO@UIUC.EDU>.
GOPHER AND WORLD-WIDE WEB
A number of documents as well as MS-DOS and Macintosh computer programs
can be obtained via Gopher and the World-Wide Web (WWW site is currently
under construction).
For access via Gopher, connect to gopher.ed.uiuc.edu and follow the path:
Higher Education Resources/
Professional societies & journals/
Control Systems Group
or from your favorite Gopher server follow the path:
Other Gopher and Information Servers/
North America/
USA/
illinois/
University of Ill.--College of Education/
Higher Education Resources/
Professional societies & journals/
Control Systems Group
The WWW address for the CSG homepage (under construction) is:
http://www.ed.uiuc.edu/csg/csg.html.
We are currently experimenting with providing archives of CSGnet discussions
via WWW. You can also access the CSG Gopher server from the WWW homepage.
REFERENCES
Here are some selected books, papers and computer programs on Perceptual
Control Theory. For a very complete list of CSG-related publications, get
the file biblio.pct from the fileserver as described above. See order
forms at the end.
* * * * * * * *
Bourbon, W.T., Copeland, K.E., Dyer, V. R., Harman, W. K., &
Mosely, B. L. (1990). On the accuracy and reliability of predictions by
control- system theory. _Perceptual and Motor Skills_, _71_, 1331-1338.
The first of a 20-year series demonstrating the long-term reliability and
stability of predictions generated by the PCT model.
Bourbon, W. T. (In Press). Perceptual Control Theory. In: HL Roitblat &
J-A Meyer (eds.). Comparative approaches to cognitive science. Cambridge,
MA: MIT Press. Chapter surveys applications of PCT modeling by Bill
Powers and Greg Williams (pointing, from the ARM/LITTLE MAN program); by
Rick Marken and Bill Powers (movement "up a gradient" by E. coli), by
Bill Powers, Clark Mcphail and Chuck Tucker (social movement and static
formations, from the GATHERINGS program), and by Bourbon (tracking). The
PCT model is contrasted with some of the mainstream models and theories
presented at the workshop.
Cziko, Gary A. (1992). Purposeful behavior as the control of perception:
Implications for educational research. EDUCATIONAL RESEARCHER, 21(9),
10-18, 27. Introduction to PCT and implications for educational research.
Cziko, Gary A. (1992). Perceptual control theory: One threat to
educational research not (yet?) faced by Amundson, Serlin, and Lehrer.
EDUCATIONAL RESEARCHER, 21(9), 25-27. Response to critics of previous
article.
Ford, Edward E. (1989). FREEDOM FROM STRESS. Scottsdale AZ: Brandt
Publishing. A self-help book. PCT in a counseling framework.
Ford, Edward E. (1987). LOVE GUARANTEED; A BETTER MARRIAGE IN 8 WEEKS.
Scottsdale AZ: Brandt Publishing.
Ford, Edward E. (1994). DISCIPLINE FOR HOME AND SCHOOL. Scottsdale AZ:
Brandt Publishing. Teaches school personnel and parents how to deal
effectively with children.
Forssell, Dag C., (1993). Perceptual Control: A New Management Insight."
In ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT JOURNAL, 5(4), 17-25.
Forssell, Dag C. (Ed.), (1994). PERCEPTUAL CONTROL THEORY: DOS COMPUTER
DEMONSTRATION, TUTORIALS, SIMULATIONS, EXPLANATIONS. 1.44 MB 3 1/2" disk
(1 ea) or 1.2 MB 5 1/4" disk (2 ea). May be freely copied. $10 U.S. by
air worldwide. Write: Purposeful Leadership, 23903 Via Flamenco,
Valencia, CA, USA. (Also available via Gopher & WWW--see above)
Forssell, Dag C., (1994). MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP: INSIGHT FOR
CONSISTENT PRACTICE. Objective: Committment to common goals, high
performance, consistent results and mutual satisfaction. A collection of
articles and working papers introducing and applying PCT in the context
of business and industry.
Gibbons, Hugh. (1990). THE DEATH OF JEFFREY STAPLETON: EXPLORING THE WAY
LAWYERS THINK. Concord, NH: Franklin Pierce Law Center. A text for law
students using control theory.
Hershberger, Wayne. (Ed.). (1989). VOLITIONAL ACTION: CONATION AND
CONTROL (Advances in Psychology No. 62). NY: North-Holland. 16 of 25
articles on or about PCT.
Marken, Richard S. (Ed.). (1990). Purposeful Behavior: The control theory
approach. AMERICAN BEHAVIORAL SCIENTIST, 34(1). (Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage
Publications) 11 articles on control theory.
Marken, Richard S. (1992). MIND READINGS: EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES OF
PURPOSE.
NC: New View. Research papers exploring control.
McClelland, Kent. (In press). Perceptual Control and Social Power.
SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES.
McPhail, Clark. (1990). THE MYTH OF THE MADDING CROWD.
New York: Aldine de Gruyter. Introduces control theory to explain group
behavior.
McPhail, Clark., Powers, William T., & Tucker, Charles W. (1992).
Simulating individual and collective action In temporary gatherings.
SOCIAL SCIENCE COMPUTER REVIEW, 10(1), 1-28. Computer simulation of
control systems in groups.
Petrie, Hugh G. (1981). THE DILEMMA OF INQUIRY AND LEARNING.
Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Powers, William T. (1973). BEHAVIOR: THE CONTROL OF PERCEPTION.
Hawthorne, NY: Aldine DeGruyter. The basic text.
Powers, William T. (1989). LIVING CONTROL SYSTEMS: SELECTED PAPERS.
NC: New View. Previously published papers, 1960- 1988.
Powers, William T. (1992). LIVING CONTROL SYSTEMS II: SELECTED PAPERS.
NC: New View. Previously unpublished papers, 1959- 1990
Richardson, George P. (1991). FEEDBACK THOUGHT IN SOCIAL SCIENCE AND
SYSTEMS THEORY.
Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. A review
of systems thinking, including PCT.
Robertson, Richard J. and Powers, William T. (Eds.). (1990).
INTRODUCTION TO MODERN PSYCHOLOGY: THE CONTROL THEORY VIEW.
NC: New View. College-level text.
Runkel, Philip J. (1990). CASTING NETS AND TESTING SPECIMENS.
New York: Praeger. When statistics are appropriate; when models are
required.
* * * * * * * *
ORDER FORMS
···
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A free 20 page PCT Resource Guide with brief introductions and more
detail on the references listed above and a few more -- publishers,
books, articles, videos, seminars, and the DOS demonstration disk --
may be obtained by sending a note with
1) a self addressed, stamped (55 cents) envelope, or
2) two "international reply" coupons - almost every post office in
the world sells them.
3) a personal note and request without either of the above
to: Dag Forssell, PCT Introduction and Resource Guide
23903 Via Flamenco
Valencia, California, 91355-2808 USA.
The order forms below are reproduced from this Guide. All prices
current as of December, 1994.
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New View: Fred Good Telephone: (919) 942-8491
P.O. Box 3021 Chapel Hill, NC 27515-3021 USA Fax: (919)942-3760
___ ea INTRODUCTION TO MODERN PSYCHOLOGY @ $25.00 _______
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American Behavioral Scientist, Volume 34, Number 1 Sept/Oct 1990
Stock number 201238 Richard S. Marken, Editor
Purposeful Behavior; The Control Theory Approach,
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