Solutions to Problems -The Three Fixes (Part I)

One of the components of problem-solving is how we look at solutions. In “The Three Fixes”, Thomas A. Heberlein explores the effectiveness of strategies used in solving environmental problems, pointing out three types of fixes (technological, cognitive, and structural) and examining the effectiveness of each strategy. This piece summarizes the three fixes, or solutions if you will.

Technological fixes

This type of fix is very attractive because of its high success rate and ability to dodge the human element. Technologies of all kinds, as part of the solution, tend to alter the physical environment or subject directly. Results are thus easy to observe, control, and adjust. Solutions involving the human element are different. People have different motivations which make them unpredictable and irrational at times. It is no surprise therefore that the technological fix is appealing. An example might be the installation of sensors which automatically switch off the lights during the night.

Cognitive and Structural fixes

The two other fixes focus on changing behavior rather than the physical environment. Cognitive and structural fixes are good to consider if technological fixes are costly or infeasible.

The cognitive fix generally targets victims of a problem and facilitates information transfer in the hopes that as rational consistent actors, those victims will modify their behavior. An example might be telling kids that sleeping and waking up on time is good for their health and development.

Structural fixes, on the other hand, modify the physical or social setting where actions take place, leading to a required change in the behavior of people. An example might be placing a time limitation on when your kids can keep the lights on.

Heberlein illustrates the difference between the cognitive and structural fixes with an example.

Problem statement: The manager of a water recreation area wishes to eliminate powerboating on the lake.

Appeals of the Fixes

The appeals of the structural fix shine more when we considering the ineffectiveness of the cognitive fix (Discussed here). Also, structural fixes encompass cognitive fixes. After all, if successful, a structural fix leads to a change in behavior.

More than three rigid types of fixes, I see these categories as intersecting spheres. They are a good heuristic for examining solutions and proposing them. And like every other heuristic, we risk operating narrowly if we fail to consider others, giving birth to terms such as technological determinism. The next part of this piece focuses on the drawbacks of each type of fix and what lessons we can derive from that.

Notes

T. Heberlein, “The Three Fixes,” WATER AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. Ann Arbor Science Publishers Inc., pp. 279–296, 1974.