Unintended consequences  

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In the social sciences, unintended consequences (sometimes unanticipated consequences or unforeseen consequences) are outcomes that are not the ones intended by a purposeful action. The concept has long existed but was named and popularised in the 20th century by American sociologist Robert K. Merton.

Unintended consequences can be roughly grouped into three types:

• A positive, unexpected benefit (usually referred to as luck, serendipity or a windfall).
• A negative, unexpected detriment occurring in addition to the desired effect of the policy (e.g., while irrigation schemes provide people with water for agriculture, they can increase waterborne diseases that have devastating health effects, such as schistosomiasis).
• A perverse effect contrary to what was originally intended (when an intended solution makes a problem worse)

See also

• Boomerang effect (psychology)
• Collateral damage
• Cobra effect
• Consequence
• Dutch disease
• Ethics in mathematics
• Externality
• Instrumental and value-rational action
• Parable of the broken window
• Rebound effect
• System accident
• Systemantics
• Technology assessment
• Tragedy of the Commons
• Virtuous circle and vicious circle
• Side effect
• The road to hell is paved with good intentions