Diagrams-to-Dynamics (D2D): Exploring Causal Loop Diagram Leverage Points under Uncertainty

Abstract

Causal loop diagrams (CLDs) are widely used in health and environmental research to represent hypothesized causal structures underlying complex problems. However, as qualitative and static representations, CLDs are limited in their ability to support dynamic analysis and inform intervention strategies. We propose Diagrams-to-Dynamics (D2D), a method for converting CLDs into exploratory system dynamics models (SDMs) in the absence of empirical data. With minimal user input - following a protocol to label variables as stocks, flows or auxiliaries, and constants - D2D leverages the structural information already encoded in CLDs, namely, link existence and polarity, to simulate hypothetical interventions and explore potential leverage points under uncertainty. Results suggest that D2D helps distinguish between high- and low-ranked leverage points. We compare D2D to a data-driven SDM constructed from the same CLD and variable labels. D2D showed greater consistency with the data-driven model compared to static network centrality analysis, while providing uncertainty estimates and guidance for future data collection. The D2D method is implemented in an open-source Python package and a web-based application to support further testing and lower the barrier to dynamic modeling for researchers working with CLDs. We expect that additional validation studies will further establish the approach's utility across a broad range of cases and domains.