What to Do

Start the demo by pressing the button labeled "W/O Opposition". Try to make the sum of any two of the three vertically aligned numbers in the middle of the display equal to a target value of your choice. For example, try to make the sum of the top and middle numbers equal to 25. You do this by pressing the "Up" or "Down" buttons to change the values of the numbers as necessary. The "Up" button adds a small amount to all three numbers; the "Down" button subtracts a small amount from all three numbers. Sometimes the numbers go down when you press "Up" and up when you press "Down". This is because disturbance numbers are being added to the three numbers on the screen each time you press "Up" or "Down". In general, however, you can increase the value of the sum you are controlling by pressing "Up" and you can decrease it by pressing "Down".

Once you have learned to control the sum of each pair of numbers, start the demo again by pressing the button labeled "With Opposition". Again, try to make the sum of any two of the three vertically aligned numbers equal to a target value of your choice. This time, you should find it easy to control the sum of all pairs of numbers except one.

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What It's About

The demonstration shows that conflict occurs when organisms control in the same rather than in different worlds. Conflict occurs when two control systems try to control perceptions of the same environmental variable. The environmental variables in this demonstration are the sums of the pairs of numbers. You are one control system; the other is "behind" the display of the demo. This other control system was controlling the sum of the two bottom numbers in the display after you pressed the "With Opposition" button. This "opposing" control system controls the sum of the lower two numbers relative to the reference value shown at the top of the display. This value changes at regular intervals.

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What To Notice

Notice that it is relatively easy to control the sum of any pair of numbers in the "W/O Opposition" condition. It is also easy to control the sum of any pair of numbers in the "With Opposition" condition, except for the sum of the two numbers at the bottom of the display, which is now being controlled by another control system. It is difficult or impossible to control the sum of the bottom two numbers in this condition because when you do this you are in direct conflict with another control system. When you try to make these two numbers match your reference for what their sum should be the other control system treats your actions (adding or subtracting from the numbers) as a disturbance; this other control system automatically add or subtracts from these two numbers in an effort to make these two numbers match its reference for what their sum should be.

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What Works Best

Pick a target sum for any pair of numbers that is not equal to the sum that is currently showing on the screen. The target sum can be positive (eg. 43), negative (eg. -12) or zero (0).

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