Mental Model

A Mental Model is a cognitive structure that organizes knowledge into a coherent framework for understanding, predicting, and interacting with complex systems and situations.

• AKA: Cognitive Model, Conceptual Framework, Mental Framework, Internal Representation, Thought Model.
• Context:
  • It can typically provide Cognitive Structure through knowledge organization.
  • It can typically enable Pattern Recognition through mental representation.
  • It can typically support Decision Making through conceptual framework.
  • It can typically guide Problem Solving through cognitive mapping.
  • It can typically enhance Learning Process through knowledge integration.
  • It can typically inform UI Design Task through user understanding.
  • It can typically reduce Cognitive Load through information chunking.
  • It can typically facilitate Reality Navigation through simplified representation.
  • ...
  • It can often facilitate Knowledge Transfer through analogical thinking.
  • It can often improve Situation Assessment through mental simulation.
  • It can often support Prediction Making through pattern matching.
  • It can often enable Information Processing through cognitive filtering.
  • It can often guide Semantic Model creation through meaning representation.
  • It can often shape Perceptual Experience through interpretive framework.
  • It can often enhance Team Coordination through shared understanding.
  • It can often mitigate Cognitive Bias through alternative perspective.
  • ...
  • It can range from being a Simple Heuristic to being a Complex Framework, depending on its cognitive complexity.
  • It can range from being a Personal Understanding to being a Shared Framework, depending on its social distribution.
  • It can range from being a Domain Specific Model to being a Universal Model, depending on its application scope.
  • It can range from being a Default Mental Model to being an Expert Mental Model, depending on its sophistication level.
  • It can range from being a Static Mental Model to being a Dynamic Mental Model, depending on its adaptability.
  • It can range from being a Conscious Mental Model to being an Implicit Mental Model, depending on its awareness level.
  • ...
  • It can have Accuracy Levels varying with domain expertise.
  • It can have Update Processes through learning experiences.
  • It can have Validation Methods through practical application.
  • It can influence Social Identity through group perceptions.
  • It can contain Causal Relationships between system elements.
  • It can incorporate Feedback Loops for predictive refinement.
  • It can form Hierarchical Structures with nested models.
  • It can differ from Factual Knowledge in providing interpretive framework rather than isolated information.
  • ...
• Examples:
  • Everyday Reasoning Mental Models, such as:
    • Physical Causality Mental Models, such as:
      • Object Permanence Mental Model for understanding hidden objects.
      • Force and Motion Mental Model for predicting object movement.
      • Container Mental Model for understanding content relationships.
    • Social Interaction Mental Models, such as:
      • Folk Psychology Mental Model for predicting others' behavior.
      • Social Exchange Mental Model for navigating reciprocity.
      • Group Dynamics Mental Model for understanding collective behavior.
  • Interface Understanding Mental Models, such as:
    • Digital Interface Mental Models, such as:
      • Folder and File Mental Model for organizing digital content.
      • Navigation Mental Model for understanding website structure.
      • Input-Output Mental Model for predicting system responses.
    • Physical Interface Mental Models, such as:
      • Control Panel Mental Model for operating complex machinery.
      • Vehicle Operation Mental Model for driving or piloting.
      • Tool Manipulation Mental Model for using implements effectively.
  • Problem-Solving Mental Models, such as:
    • Analytical Mental Models, such as:
      • Process of Elimination Mental Model for narrowing possibilities.
      • Root Cause Analysis Mental Model for identifying underlying issues.
      • Cost-Benefit Mental Model for evaluating trade-offs.
    • Creative Mental Models, such as:
      • Analogical Thinking Mental Model for connecting disparate domains.
      • First Principles Mental Model for breaking down complex problems.
      • Lateral Thinking Mental Model for generating novel solutions.
  • Systems Understanding Mental Models, such as:
    • Natural Systems Mental Models, such as:
      • Ecological Cycle Mental Model for understanding environmental relationships.
      • Evolutionary Pressure Mental Model for comprehending adaptation.
      • Weather Pattern Mental Model for predicting atmospheric changes.
    • Human Systems Mental Models, such as:
      • Market Forces Mental Model for understanding economic behavior.
      • Organizational Structure Mental Model for navigating institutions.
      • Political Power Mental Model for comprehending governance.
  • Learning Mental Models, such as:
    • Knowledge Acquisition Mental Models, such as:
      • Scaffolding Mental Model for building on prior knowledge.
      • Schema Development Mental Model for organizing new information.
      • Conceptual Mapping Mental Model for connecting related ideas.
    • Skill Development Mental Models, such as:
      • Deliberate Practice Mental Model for improving specific abilities.
      • Feedback Loop Mental Model for refining performance.
      • Progression Stage Mental Model for understanding skill advancement.
  • ...
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• Counter-Examples:
  • Raw Data Collections, which lack organizational framework necessary for mental models.
  • Emotional Reactions, which lack cognitive structure essential to mental models.
  • Random Thoughts, which lack systematic patterns found in mental models.
  • Instinctive Responses, which lack conceptual frameworks of mental models.
  • Sensory Perceptions, which provide direct input rather than interpretive frameworks.
  • Memorized Facts, which consist of isolated information rather than integrated understanding.
• See: Mindset, Semantic Model, Social Identity, Anaphora Resolution System, Default Mental Model, UI Design Task, Cognitive Framework, Knowledge Structure, Learning Pattern, Thinking Small, Cognitive Model, Reality, Mind, Hypothesis, Cognition, Reasoning, Decision-Making, Kenneth Craik, Models, Behaviour, Psychology, Schema Theory, Cognitive Load Theory, Systems Thinking, Mental Simulation.

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References

2024

• (Wikipedia, 2024) ⇒ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mental_model Retrieved:2024-12-7.
  • A mental model is an internal representation of external reality: that is, a way of representing reality within one's mind. Such models are hypothesized to play a major role in cognition, reasoning and decision-making. The term for this concept was coined in 1943 by Kenneth Craik, who suggested that the mind constructs "small-scale models" of reality that it uses to anticipate events. Mental models can help shape behaviour, including approaches to solving problems and performing tasks.

    In psychology, the term mental models is sometimes used to refer to mental representations or mental simulation generally. The concepts of schema and conceptual models are cognitively adjacent. Elsewhere, it is used to refer to the "mental model" theory of reasoning developed by Philip Johnson-Laird and Ruth M. J. Byrne.

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