What is Chaos Theory and what does it reveal to us?

Arbitrariness and unpredictability underlie the human experience. What does this theory reveal to us?

Let's imagine that we place an egg at the top of a pyramid. Now let us think that we throw a cork into the source of a river.

We will be able to know in which direction the egg will fall or in which point of the river the cork will end up once we have observed the result. However, could we predict it? While the final outcome can be modeled in numerous ways as to how the experiment ended up one way or another, there are a large number of variables that may or may not influence the final outcome.

There is a theory that nature and the universe in general does not follow a predictable pattern, referred to as chaos theory.

General approach to chaos theory

Chaos theory is more than a theory, it is a paradigm that represented a scientific revolution at the time.The chaos theory is, more than a theory, a paradigm that represented a scientific revolution at the time, reflecting that many systems hitherto considered deterministic and predictable have severe limits to their predictability. In other words, they were not as useful as previously thought when it came to predicting future events. This is important, since one of the foundations of science consists in the ability to eliminate uncertainty about what will happen.

Initiated by Henri Poincaré as a precursor and popularized by the work of the mathematician and meteorologist Edward Lorenz, chaos theory has been used as a tool for the prediction of future events, chaos theory has been used in fields such as mathematics and meteorology to explain the inaccuracy and uncertainty to explain the inaccuracy and difficulty in obtaining predictable results from reality.

The butterfly effect

This theory is widely known for what is known as the butterfly effect, according to which "the weak beat of a butterfly's wings can be the cause of a hurricane thousands of miles away". This indicates that the existence of a specific variable can provoke or alter others, progressively influencing each other until an unexpected result is obtained.

To sum up, we can consider that the chaos theory establishes that small changes in the initial conditions create large differences with respect to the final result.Thus, a great majority of events and systems are not totally predictable.

It is important to bear in mind that despite appearances, the chaos referred to in this theory does not imply a lack of order, but rather that events and reality do not conform to a linear model. However, chaos cannot go beyond certain limits. The egg mentioned in the introduction can only not fall or fall in any direction. In other words, the possibilities are multiple but the results are limited, and there are predispositions for the phenomena to happen in a certain way, predispositions known as attractors.

Chaos theory in psychology

Chaos theory was initially devised to explain the existence of divergences in the results of the application of mathematical, meteorological or astrological models. However, this theory is applicable to is applicable to a large number of disciplines, including those related to the health and social sciences.. One of the scientific disciplines in which this theory has some applicability is psychology.

Chaos theory, as a paradigm that concludes that small changes in initial conditions can generate great diversity in outcomes, can serve to explain the enormous diversity we can find in terms of attitudes, points of view, thoughts, beliefs or emotions. While as a general rule most people seek survival and self-fulfillment in different ways, there is a very wide variety of circumstances that can lead to different outcomes, there is a very wide variety of circumstances that transform our behavior and thinking and shape the way we live our lives.. For example, living a relatively happy and peaceful life does not ensure that a person will not develop a mental disorder, just as suffering a severe trauma may not produce subsequent disorders.

Differences between people

It may be helpful in trying to explain why some people may develop mental strengths or problems that others do not. It may also explain why certain treatments are not effective in certain people even though they are effective in most people. Or why two people with the same genes and the same life experiences do not react in the same way to a particular stimulus or event.

Behind this may be differences in personality, cognitive capacity, focus of attention on specific aspects, emotional and motivational situation at that moment or other multiple factors.

Also, some psychological processes such as anxiety could be linked to chaos theory.. For many people with anxiety and related disorders, not knowing what may happen to their performance in the environment gives rise to a deep sense of unease, and with it a possible active avoidance of what is feared.

In other wordsThe uncertainty generated by the difficulty in establishing reliable predictions, due to the multiple possibilities of a chaotic reality, arouses a sense of concern. of a chaotic reality awakens the feeling of worry. The same happens with disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, in which the uncertainty that something feared might happen due to intrusive thoughts induces anxiety and can provoke the use of compulsions as a temporary protective measure.

Small details that change our destiny

Within psychology and this theory, genetics and culture could be considered as attractors, by producing a certain tendency to behave in a certain way. But this does not imply that we all behave the same way or have the same ways of thinking. Behavioral patterns and habits are also attractors, which may explain why in some cases of mental disorders there are relapses.

However, there are also complete remissions of symptoms, due to the introduction of new elements and alternative reconstructions of dysfunctional internal processes. The simple fact of crossing paths with someone in the street or not crossing paths with someone in the street can provoke unexpected effects that make us behave differently.

Human groups and the effect of chaotic theory

The same thing happens in organizations, systems in which multiple elements interrelate in different ways and with different objectives. In the case of the company, it is widely known that today it is essential for it to be able to adapt to change in order to remain in business. changes in order for the company to survive. However, this adaptability must be constant, since it is not possible to foresee the totality of situations that may occur. They must be able to cope with chaos.

There can be a large number of variables that can affect its operation and maintenance. An employee's production level may be affected by his or her personal circumstances. The company's customers and/or suppliers may be late in their payments and shipments. Another company may attempt to acquire the company or attract its workers. There may be a fire that destroys some or all of the work done. The company's popularity may increase or decrease due to factors such as novelty or the emergence of better alternatives..

But in any case, as we have indicated above the fact that reality is multiple and chaotic does not imply that it is disorderly. Chaos theory teaches that science in general should be adaptive and non-deterministic, always bearing in mind that an exact and absolute prediction of all events is not feasible.

Bibliographical references:

• Lorenz, E.N. (1996). The Essence of Chaos. University of Washington Press.