Reinforcing vs. Balancing Feedback Loops¶
Specification¶
The full specification below is extracted from Chapter 14: "Systems Thinking: Foundations and Causal Diagrams".
Type: microsim
**sim-id:** feedback-loops-compare<br/>
**Library:** p5.js<br/>
**Status:** Specified
Side-by-side interactive comparison of a reinforcing loop (epidemic growth) and a balancing loop (population immunity). Left panel shows epidemic spread: a reinforcing loop with variables "Infected Individuals," "Transmission Events," and "New Cases." Right panel shows population immunity: a balancing loop with variables "Susceptible Population," "Vaccination Rate," "Immune Population," and "Transmission Rate." Each arrow can be clicked to reveal its polarity (+/−) and a plain-English explanation. A "run simulation" button animates both loops simultaneously, showing exponential growth on the left and S-shaped stabilization on the right, illustrating why epidemic curves flatten. Labels show R-loop and B-loop notation clearly.