These sources explore the theoretical foundations and practical applications of systems thinking, specifically through the lens of DSRP Theory. This framework identifies four universal patterns—Distinctions, Systems, Relationships, and Perspectives—that govern how humans organise information and construct mental models of reality. The texts examine how metacognitive awareness of these structures can improve conflict resolution, scientific inquiry, and the efficacy of international development aid. Researchers use multivariate statistical methods and structured conceptualisation to identify barriers to implementing these approaches, such as rigid mechanistic thinking and insufficient funding. Furthermore, the literature highlights the use of cognitive jigs as repeatable tools to help practitioners navigate complex adaptive systems. Ultimately, the collection advocates for a paradigm shift towards a more holistic, non-linear understanding of the world to better align human thought with natural complexity.
Sources
• 2018 Webinar: Planning an Evaluation of Systems Change (Slides), by Meg Hargreaves and Mark Cabaj.[1]
• A Literature Review of the Universal and Atomic Elements of Complex Cognition, by Derek Cabrera, Laura Cabrera, and Elena Cabrera (2021). DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.22452.78727.[2][3]
• A Systemic Lens on the Modal Model of the Mind, by Yeni Oktavia Mulyono, Elena Cabrera, Unur Sukhbaatar, Laura Cabrera, and Derek Cabrera (2021). DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.31680.25605.[4]
• How to Improve Systems Thinking in Aid: A Conceptual Framework for the Implementation of Systems Thinking in Development Aid Programming (PhD Thesis), by Mihaela Balan (2019). RMIT University.[5]
• A Mathematical Theory of Organization: DSRP as Universal Code of Mind and Nature for Organizing, Evolving, and Understanding Information, by Derek Cabrera (2024). DOI: 10.54120/jost.00000100.[6]
• Any Person, Any Study: A Different Kind of Theory of Everything (ToE), by Derek Cabrera and Laura Cabrera (2020).[7]
• Distinctions, Systems, Relationships, and Perspectives (DSRP): A Theory of Thinking and of Things, by Derek Cabrera and Laura Colosi/Cabrera (2008). DOI: 10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2008.04.001.[8][9]
• DSRP Script, by Derek Cabrera and Laura Cabrera (2021).[10][11]
• DSRP Theory: A Primer, by Derek Cabrera and Laura Cabrera (2022). DOI: 10.3390/systems10020026.[12]
• Developing Personal Mastery in Systems Thinking, by Derek Cabrera and Laura Cabrera (2021).[15]
• Developing and Validating a Measurement of Systems Thinking: The Systems Thinking and Metacognitive Inventory (STMI), by Laura Cabrera, Jessica Sokolow, and Derek Cabrera (2021). DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.28639.38566.[16]
• Distinctions Organize Information in Mind and Nature: Empirical Findings of Identity–Other Distinctions (D) in Cognitive and Material Complexity, by Derek Cabrera, Laura Cabrera, and Elena Cabrera (2022). DOI: 10.3390/systems10020041.[17]
• Emergence Revealed: Where the Whole is Always Equal, Never Greater, than the Parts, by Derek Cabrera (2023).[20]
• Frameworks for Transdisciplinary Research (GAIA series), including Framework #4: Four Building Blocks of Systems Thinking, by Derek Cabrera and Laura Cabrera (2018). DOI: 10.14512/gaia.27.2.3.[21][22]
• From One Cause to Webs of Causality, by Derek Cabrera and Laura Cabrera (2025). DOI: 10.20944/preprints202504.1033.v1.[23]
• “Hard” and “Soft” Methods in Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS): Agent Based Modeling (ABM) and the Agent Based Approach (ABA), by Yeni Oktavia Mulyono, Unur Sukhbaatar, and Derek Cabrera (2021). DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.31260.82563.[24]
• The “Fish Tank” Experiments: Metacognitive Awareness of Distinctions, Systems, Relationships, and Perspectives (DSRP) Significantly Increases Cognitive Complexity, by Derek Cabrera, Laura Cabrera, and Elena Cabrera (2022). DOI: 10.3390/systems10020029.[25]
• Perspectives Organize Information in Mind and Nature: Empirical Findings of Point-View Perspective (P) in Cognitive and Material Complexity, by Derek Cabrera, Laura Cabrera, and Elena Cabrera (2022). DOI: 10.3390/systems10030052.[26]
• Relationships Organize Information in Mind and Nature: Empirical Findings of Action-Reaction Relationships (R) in Cognitive and Material Complexity, by Derek Cabrera, Laura Cabrera, and Elena Cabrera (2021). DOI: 10.3390/systems10030071.[27]
• A Summary of Findings from Recent Research on DSRP Theory, by Derek Cabrera and Laura Cabrera (2021).[28]
• Systems Organize Information in Mind and Nature: Empirical Findings of Part-Whole Systems (S) in Cognitive and Material Complexity, by Derek Cabrera, Laura Cabrera, and Elena Cabrera (2022). DOI: 10.3390/systems10020044.[29]
• Systems Thinking Flash Cards, by Cabrera Research Lab (2016).[30]
• The Complexity of Concept Mapping for Policy Analysis, by William Trochim and Derek Cabrera (2005).[31]
• The Four Waves of Systems Thinking, by Derek Cabrera, Laura Cabrera, and Gerald Midgley (2021). DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.32099.68649.[32][33]
• The Simple Rules of Complex Networks: A Heuristic for Determining the Potential Complexity of Any Network and Making Structural Predictions, by Derek Cabrera, Leighton Arnold, and Laura Cabrera (2019). DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.22033.35684.[34][35]
• The Universal Cognitive Grammar of Systems Mapping: A Rubric to Evaluate the Various Tools and Techniques of Systems Mapping, by Arturo Castellanos Canales, Paulina Lucio Maymon, Laura Cabrera, and Derek Cabrera (2021). DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.24969.36962.[36]
• What Is Systems Thinking?, by Derek Cabrera and Laura Cabrera (2019). DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-17727-4_100-1.[37][38]
• Common Biases in Systems Thinking, by Gianni Di Marco and Derek Cabrera (2024). DOI: 10.54120/jost.pr000037.v1.[39]
• Defining Learning: A Change in Mental Model, by Derek Cabrera and Laura Cabrera (2020).[40]
• Systems Thinking (PhD Dissertation), by Derek Anthony Cabrera (2006). Cornell University.[41]
• Dialogues on Systems Thinking and Complexity Theory (Internal Communications), between Geoff Elliott and Roger James.[42]
• Scientific Journal of Derek Cabrera (1997).[43]
• Learning across Boundaries: Exploring the Variety of Systems Theory and Practice, by Gerald Midgley and Jennifer Wilby (2015). DOI: 10.1002/sres.2357.[44]
• The World at Our Fingertips, by Derek Cabrera and Laura Colosi (2010). Scientific American Mind, Vol. 21, No. 4. https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/24943129.\[45\]
• What Is the Crisis? Defining and Prioritizing the World’s Most Pressing Problems, by Derek Cabrera, James T. Mandel, Jason P. Andras, and Marie L. Nydam (2008). https://www.jstor.org/stable/20440989.\[46\]
• Systems Thinking Made Simple: New Hope for Solving Wicked Problems, by Derek Cabrera and Laura Cabrera (2015). ISBN: 978-0996349307.[47]
References
[1] 2018 Webinar Planning an Evaluation of Systems Change Slides.pdf [2] 2020 A Literature Review of the Universal and Atomic Elements of Complex Cognition.pdf [3] Cabrera - A Literature Review of the Universal and Atomic Elements of Complex Cognition.pdf [4] A Systemic Lens on the Multi-store Model of the Mind.pdf [5] Balan - how to improve systems thinking in aid.pdf [6] Cabrera - A Mathematical Theory of organizational DSRP as The Universal Reality Code.pdf [7] Cabrera - Any Person Any Study - A Different Kind of Theory of Everything ToE.pdf [8] Cabrera - DRSP A theory of thinking and of things.pdf [9] cabrera_et_al.pdf [10] Cabrera - DSRP Script.pdf [11] DSRP Script.pdf [12] Cabrera - DSRP Theory - A Primer.pdf [15] Cabrera - Developing Personal Mastery in Systems Thinking.pdf [16] Cabrera - Developing and Validating a Measurement of Systems Thinking - The Systems Thinking and Metacognitive Inventory.pdf [17] Cabrera - Distinctions Organize Information in Mind and Nature.pdf [20] Cabrera - Emergence Revealed - Where the Whole is Always Equal Never_Greater than the Parts.pdf [21] Cabrera - Frameworks for Transdisciplinary Research.pdf [22] Gaia frameworks for transdisciplinary research.pdf [23] Cabrera - From One Cause to Webs of Causality.pdf [24] Cabrera - Hard and Soft Methods in Complex Adaptive Systems.pdf [25] Cabrera - Metacognitive awareness of Distiunctions Systems Relationships and Prespectives Increases Cognitive Complexity.pdf [26] Cabrera - Perspectives Organize Information in Mind and Nature.pdf [27] Cabrera - Relationships Organize Information in Mind and Nature.pdf [28] Cabrera - Summary of DSRP Research Findings.pdf [29] Cabrera - Systems Organize Information in Mind and Nature.pdf [30] Cabrera - Systems Thinking Flash Cards.pdf [31] Cabrera - The Complexity of Concept Mapping.pdf [32] Cabrera - The Four Waves of Systems Thinking.pdf [33] The Four Waves of Systems Thinking.pdf [34] Cabrera - The Simple Rules of Complex Networks a heuristics for determining the potential complexity.pdf [35] The Simple Rules of Complex Networks.pdf [36] Cabrera - The Universal Cognitive Grammar of Systems Mapping - A Rubric to Evaluate the Various Tools and Techniques of Systems Mapping.pdf [37] Cabrera Cabrera 2019 Reference Work Entry - What Is Systems Thinking.pdf [38] What Is Systems Thinking – Derek Cabrera.pdf [39] Common Biases in Systems Thinking.pdf [40] Defining_Learning_JOAST_19_1.pdf [41] Derek Cabrera Dissertation.pdf [42] Dialogues on Systems Thinking and Complexity Theory.pdf [43] Journal 1997.pdf [44] Learning Across Boundaries PublishedVersion.pdf [45] cabrera - touch in scientific american 24943129.pdf [46] cabrera - whats the problem 20440989.pdf [47] systems-thinking-made-simple-new-hope-for-solving-wicked-problems-by-derek-cabrera-laura-cabrera-0996349308.pdf