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An app to model life’s big decisions

By | December 5, 2012, 7:31 PM PST

iMODELER is based on a commercial decision support decision that's used by businesses, government organizations, and schools for exploratory thinking.

iMODELER is based on a commercial decision support decision that's used by businesses, schools, and government organizations.

If you’re faced with a big decision, you no longer need to go with your intuition - there’s an app for that. The app, called iMODELER, is an offshoot of a European Union research project into decision support systems. It visualizes personal decisions or strategies in a way that its creators say will lead to “non-linear” decisions that are less influenced by emotions and impart a clearer understanding of life’s complex interconnections.

German software company CONSIDEO released iMODELER as a free download for Apple’s iOS and as Web application in August. A new desktop edition was announced last month that includes advanced features to target businesses and large organizations. iMODELER is a derivative work from MODELER, an applications that boasts over 200,000 user ranging from BMW, NATO and the Worldbank to over 1,000 schools and universities.

A modeling app would be useful for individuals to better understand the causes and consequences of daily decisions, a spokesperson said. This is accomplished through so-called “insight matrices” that would outline your greatest obstacles and most promising activities that would help or hinder you from achieving a goal.

“Humans reach a mental barrier when trying to grasp the interconnections between more than four factors without the assistance of a computer or pen/pencil and paper,” the spokesperson explained. “In most cases we refer to best practices or our gut feeling. However, decisions based on intuition are normally influenced by emotions, and best practices cannot predict the future, as they are always based on past experiences that took place under different circumstances.” That is what causes linear thinking, the spokesperson said.

Linear thinking has led to nonlinear consequences like climate change, financial crisis, and terrorist violence. Could a qualitative/quantitative modeler help decision makers solve those pressing issues? Perhaps, but that’s assuming that every decision we make is rational. What’s the fun in that?

If my description of iMODELER sounds like it needs its own decision support system, here’s a video that goes more in depth:


(Image credit: Wikipedia commons)

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David Worthington

About David Worthington

David Worthington is a contributing editor for SmartPlanet.

David Worthington

David Worthington

Contributing Editor

David Worthington has written for BetaNews, eWeek, PC World, Technologizer and ZDNet. Formerly, he was a senior editor at SD Times. He holds a degree from Temple University. He is based in New York.

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David Worthington

David Worthington

David does not have financial holdings that would influence how or what he covers. Occasionally he consults for other companies; should David cover a topic in which a client is involved, he will disclose this fact in his writing. His views do not represent those of his employers.

He writes for SmartPlanet and is not an employee of CBS.

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+2 Votes
+ -
iMODELER is a great tool!
As a psychologist and case manager I even use the iMODELER to model emotions. Great tool!
Susan
Posted by Susan900
Updated - 6th Dec
+2 Votes
+ -
Beyond mind mapping
I think it's important to note that it looks similar to mind mapping and its ease of use and yet it goes way beyond. Mind maps merely organize content - modeling looks at cause and effect relations that can be analyzed to gain new insights. More transparent and intelligent decisions could lead to a smarter planet happy
Posted by Kai Neumann
6th Dec
0 Votes
+ -
Because we have raised 2 generations of ignorant kids, you get this.
For the young adult who has never been taught about winners and losers.

For the pampered college students who have never learned that there are consequences for their actions.

For people who have never been held responsible for making a real decision.

I give you......................

An app to blame when you make a bad decision.

Anyone who needs this to get through life is pathetic.
Posted by Hates Idiots
Updated - 6th Dec
+1 Vote
+ -
You do not need it, as it seems
So you say that the generations should just do and know what we do and know already? Wow, that is conservative. Or do you mean that we should just follow trial and error like other animals without our unique capabilities to reflect on our behavior? This tool is just meant to help us with that. My parents tought me how to use a typewriter (hope everybody knows what that is) and yet even they use a computer today wink

Here is one of many studies examining our mental barriers though some people, of course, do not have them as they also only trust studies that proof what they believe:

Halford, G., How many variables can humans process. Psychological Science Vol. 16 (2005), pp. 70-76)
Posted by Kai Neumann
Updated - 6th Dec
0 Votes
+ -
Conservative? Odd statement.
Considering that teaching self thought and how to learn from other peoples mistakes and how to adapt to a changing world has made humans a better species for millions of years.

I would say you are the conservative for denying that rich history and built in ability in favor of teaching a SAFER way to live. Have a computer make your decisions for you because you are too stupid and incapable of learning.

To say that humans need computers to make important decisions is to deny the potential of people.

To put it in practical terms. On any day of the week I will take the abilities of an experienced pilot like Sully Sullenberger over the abilities an auto pilot system that has 10 million hours of flight time behind it. You cannot underestimate the human element of an equation.

You call me a conservative, yet I am the radical who wants to teach children to learn and wonder and ask questions and learn some more. And yes, make their own mistakes so they can learn from them.

To put it in your terms. Mental conservatives doubt the human capacity to do any of those things I cherish.

Such conservative and doubtful thinking has led to the dumbing down of US society through our largely crappy school systems.
Posted by Hates Idiots
Updated - 7th Dec
0 Votes
+ -
I forgot, the earth is flat
My mistake, I forgot to mention the most important rule when modeling: Garbage in, garbage out!
So please excuse if I have made the impression that a computer can replace our intellect. To be more precise modeling combines knowledge/best practice, gut feeling and even guesses. Modeling means the use of a so called decision support system, not a decision system.
An architect may build small bridges with the use of best practice, gut feeling or even trial and error. But new, large bridges he or she needs software to calculate statics and run scenarios of possible impacts.
So, all the article says is that there is a widespread tool that can (!) help us to get a better (that doesn't imply full) understanding of complex challenges. Yet, still we have to fail the decision.
What I added was one study that proofs that we have mental boundaries. There are so many other proofs that we cannot deal with complexity and non-linear developments without a tool. Don't you use a calculator from time to time?
Conservative: conservative is to deny possible improvements, changes in the way to do something. But you are right, if we would exchange human intuition etc. for computers or for no free mind that would be wrong or even conservative, too. So we don't disagree on this, do we?
What we might disagree on is that I think the world could be better off and that most manmade problems (wars, environmental damages, etc.) are a consequence of reductionistic and conservative thinking. Frankly I do not want to wait until the future generations make more mature decisions the way you describe, or would you say that today's decisions and our decision culture are better than they were decades ago?
Ah, and one statement of Sullenberger was that he has trained that scenario many times on a simulator - that's what modeling is: running scenarios and still depend on all of your personality.
Now it is your turn: attack me again happy
Posted by Kai Neumann
Updated - 7th Dec
+2 Votes
+ -
Valid points.
Interesting perpective.

Food for thought.
Posted by Hates Idiots
7th Dec
+1 Vote
+ -
Practical example
Taken from the MODELER-Forum (http://www.modeler-forum.com/viewforum.php?f=30&sid=130c8d2aef9eb9803856411ce3c6fa71) here is an example on electic vehicles:

https://imodeler.info/p/ro?key=Ay19J9nNQwSPkmhkC_ty5mg

After experts from an environmental agency doubted the benefits of electric vehicles I modeled their arguments and added some other knowledge to see how the sum of arguments would look like, what the overall benefit of electric vehicles would be. Well, to me the benefits of electric cars seems rather counter intuitive. What do you all think?
Posted by Kai Neumann
7th Dec
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