Mental Models

Mental Models are psychological representations of real, hypothetical, or imaginary situations. They were first postulated in the late 1940s by Kenneth Craik, a Scottish psychologist. Mental models play a fundamental role in human cognition as they allow individuals to infer and predict behavior, solve problems, make decisions, and learn new information.

Definition and Overview

A mental model is a kind of internal symbol or representation of external reality, hypothesized to play a major role in cognition, reasoning and decision-making. Kenneth Craik suggested in 1943 that the mind constructs "small-scale models" of reality that it uses to anticipate events.

History

The concept of mental models has been in existence since antiquity and can be traced back to Aristotle's theory of mental imagery. However, the term "mental model" is believed to have originated from Kenneth Craik's work on the nature of explanation.

Function

Mental models serve as mechanisms whereby humans are able to generate descriptions of system purpose and form, explanations of system functioning and observed system states, and predictions of future system states.

Examples

Examples of mental models include the water cycle, the solar system, and the interior of the Earth. Mental models are also seen as an important part of human-computer interaction, problem solving, and decision making.

See Also

• Cognitive map
• Conceptual model
• Mind map
• Schema (psychology)

References

Mental Models Resources
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