Feedback: A Little Quiz

8. The concept of feedback is central to a lot of economics, but textbooks rarely mention it. There are two kinds of feedback, stabilizing and destabilizing feedback. Use a search engine on the internet and see if you can discover how they are defined and examples of each.

Then put a check mark in front of those items that are examples of DAMPENING feedback.

a. The temperature rises as the furnace runs; as the temperature rises, the furnace turns off.

b. A teacher praises a child when she performs well; the child performs well when she is praised.

c. A valve releases more steam as the pressure rises; the pressure drops as steam is released.

d. When less gasoline is available, the price rises; when price rises, people use less gasoline.

e. When Joe studies more, he gets higher test scores; as he gets higher test scores, he studies less.

f. When wood burns, it creates heat; when heated, wood burns more readily.

g. When income goes up, people spend more; when people spend more, income goes up.


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