Weblog of Allison Pinto, Ph.D. at the Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute — A space to share ideas regarding some of the hot topics emerging in children’s mental health

Another ABM option would be to drop the four agents randomly onto Manhattan and have them wander one block at a time in random directions until one of them found a place to sleep at which point diffusion along network links would lead to a convergence unless another agent along the way found something better, in which case convergence would aim there, etc.

You all would probably wind up in a camp under the FDR expressway, but at least it would meet the price constraint.

Mike

This is a great article published by the Zero to Three Policy Center on the ways in which community- and state-level leaders can facilitate systems change efforts to nurture the mental health of infants, toddlers and young children: “Advocacy Strategies to Improve Outcomes for Young Children: Interviews with Leaders at the State and Community Levels. “.

Hi all-
Dean has encouraged me to share an email that I recently sent to 3 companions who will be traveling to NYC with me on Labor Day weekend. I was tasked with finding accommodations for us (rather last minute) that would allow all four us to stay in the same room or hotel. This has not been easy and I am now utterly frustrated with the “needs” of the group. My response to my companions is below…

I have to get practical application of complexity somewhere! Maybe, I do need some time off….:)

******
FRANCES Writes:
I am doing my best to meet the requirements of the group given the following parameters (or as in complexity theory, the function of the system and the simple rules):

FUNCTION: Obtain NYC accommodations that would enable all 4 travelers to obtain shelter in the same room and/or building.

RULES:
1) Price range needs cannot exceed $265 for the weekend
2) A decent neighborhood
3) Access to bathrooms (some are ok with shared others want private)
4) Travelers must collaborate

So given the above simple rules, we are left with a few options.

1) We can abide by our simple rules and adapt our behaviors and schema to reach optimal fitness on our current system fitness landscape.

2) We can collectively decide to alter one of the above rules thus adjusting the system fitness landscape to fit our current behaviors and schema.

3) Choose not to adapt our behavior/schema nor the simple rules, increase anxiety, back away from collaboration, spiral into chaos, stagnate in a fitness valley instead of reaching a fitness peak, and have no place to stay when we arrive in NYC.

4) Change the function of the system to reflect the following:

Obtain NYC accommodations that would enable at least 2 travelers to obtain shelter in the same room and/or building.

RESPONSE FROM ONE COMPANION:
I have no idea what any of it means, I just need a place to sleep but, preferably with carpet…

FRANCES’ RESPONSE:
Your preference for carpet would indicate a recessive or shadow rule operating behind the scenes of the legitimate rules that have been established by the system. If your expression of the Carpet rule resonates with others, it may reach a tipping point of agreement through positive feedback processes and therefore become a part of the dominant/legitimate system. If however, your expression is not supported by others and suppressed through negative feedback processes it will remain recessive. At that point, you will have three options:

1) Conform to the system as is in behavior only. (Meaning that you will be OK with a room with no carpet, sleep on the floor but complain the whole time).

2) Conform to the system in both behavioral and schema change. (Meaning that you have heard the comments of the group regarding the unnecessary need for carpet and you have agreed and alter your behavior accordingly; thus learning has taken place).

3) In the fight between conformity and individualism, the need to be an individual wins. (Meaning, you say to hell with us all, execute free will, buck the system, and seek out carpeting).

Frances Wallace, MPH
National Implementation Research Network
Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute
University of South Florida