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# What Is Systems Thinking? Expert Perspectives From the WPI Systems Thinking Colloquium

## Details

**Authors** Amissah M, Gannon T, Monat J, Stroh DP, Kasser J, et al.

**Year** 2020

**Publisher** Systems 8:6

**Kind of work** article

**Discipline** Systems Science

**Reading level** intermediate

**Kind of engagement** scholarly

[Read it](https://f.hubspotusercontent20.net/hubfs/7421276/CRL%20Bibliography/2020%20What%20is%20Systems%20Thinking_%20Expert%20Perspectives%20from%20the%20WPI%20Systems%20Thinking%20Colloquium%20of%202%20October%202019.pdf)

## In authors' words

### Abstract

Systems thinking is an approach to reasoning and treatment of real-world problems based on the fundamental notion of ‘system.’ System here refers to a purposeful assembly of components. Thus, systems thinking is aimed at understanding relationships between components and their overall impact on system outcomes (i.e., intended and unintended) and how a system similarly fits in the broader context of its environment. There are currently several distinct flavors of systems thinking, both in practice and scholarship; most notably in the disciplines of systems science, systems engineering, and systems dynamics. Each of these, while similar in purpose, has a distinct history and a rich set of methods and tools for various application contexts. The WPI Systems Thinking Colloquium held on 2 October 2019 was aimed at exploring the diversity of perspectives on systems thinking from these disciplines. The colloquium brought together world-renowned experts from both industry and academia to share insights from their research and practice. This paper offers a compilation of summaries of the presentations given.

### What they set out to do (purpose)

The authors examined how leading scholars and practitioners from systems science, systems engineering, and system dynamics define and practice systems thinking. They compiled presentations from the 2019 WPI Systems Thinking Colloquium and compared them to identify recurring concepts, methods, and areas of agreement across different systems-thinking traditions.

### What they found (results)

The presentations showed considerable diversity in systems-thinking methods, but also recurring emphasis on systems and their components, relationships and interactions, boundaries, context, perspectives, mental models, feedback, and holistic reasoning. One presentation identified DSRP—Distinctions, Systems, Relationships, and Perspectives—as four simple, interconnected patterns underlying systems thinking. The report also reviewed prior systems-thinking interventions showing changes in mental models, behavior, feedback reasoning, and understanding of systems.

## Commentary

### In short

A multi-author colloquium collecting expert perspectives on what systems thinking is, one contributor among many. Engagement with the field rather than a work of the lab.

### Response

A survey of how leading figures define systems thinking, in which DSRP appears as one contributor's answer among many. Its interest is the recurring list the editors extracted from all the presentations — components, relationships, boundaries, perspectives, mental models — which is most of the four patterns arrived at by aggregation rather than by theory.

**Patterns it shows** D, S, R, P

**Added** 2026-08-09

**How to cite this** Amissah M, Gannon T, Monat J, Stroh DP, Kasser J, et al. (2020). What Is Systems Thinking? Expert Perspectives From the WPI Systems Thinking Colloquium. Systems 8:6.