Resources
We all live and work in complex systems, but we rarely learn about them.
Start here if you're new to systems thinking.
Areas of Focus
Cognitive Development
How systems thinking develops from childhood through adulthood.
Systems + Decision-Making
How people make decisions in dynamic, feedback-rich environments.
Barriers to Systems Thinking
The causes and consequences of asystemic thinking—mental models, silos, incentive misalignment, etc.
Research Papers & Articles - How We Think—and Decide—in a Complex World
In my research, I study how people intuitively make decisions in complex environments, why that thinking
often falls short, and how we can build the capacity to do better.
My research—rooted in work at Harvard and MIT Sloan—focuses on two intersecting questions:
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How do people of all ages develop the ability to "think in systems?"
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What gets in the way—cognitively, structurally, and culturally?
I explore how visual metaphors (like the Carbon Bathtub), language, and developmental strategies can build systems literacy across the lifespan. I also study how habits of thought can shift to better navigate systemic challenges—whether tackling climate change, improving health outcomes, or building a culture of safety in large organizations.
Selected Publications
Book Chapters & Special Issues
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Managing Complex Dynamic Systems: Challenge and Opportunity for Naturalistic Decision-Making Theory
(Sterman & Booth Sweeney, 2007) In How Professionals Make Decisions. Montgomery, Lipshitz & Brehmer (Eds.), Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. -
Patterns of Polycrisis: Applying System Archetypes to Crisis Interactions (co-authored Booth Sweeney, 2025) – Global Sustainability, Cambridge University Press
Articles and Essays
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Learning to Connect the Dots: Children’s Systems Literacy
The Solutions Journal, 2012 -
All Systems Go!: Education for the Anthropocene, State of the World Report,
Worldwatch Institute, 2017 -
Carbon Bathtub – National Geographic Big Idea
Co-created with John Sterman, featured in National Geographic, 2009 -
Medium.Com
Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles
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Understanding Public Complacency About Climate Change
Climatic Change, Springer Nature Link, 2006 -
"Cloudy Skies: Assessing Public Understanding of Global Warming." Sterman, John D., and Linda Booth Sweeney. Reflections Vol. 7, No. 3 (2006): 36-49. Access paper through MIT Libraries.
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Integrating Complex Systems Methods to Advance Obesity Prevention
Health Education & Behavior, 2020 -
Thinking About Systems: Student and Teacher Conceptions
System Dynamics Review, 2007 -
Bathtub Dynamics: Initial Results of a Systems Thinking Inventory
System Dynamics Review, 2001
Additional peer-reviewed publications and articles available upon request.
Videos
The field of systems thinking, system change and systems innovation is growing everyday.
Check out these kindred organizations. (More to come!)
Interested in collaboration or speaking? Contact Linda