Mental model

Main thing

A mental model is an internal representation of how something works in the real world. It is a person's thought process for understanding and simplifying complex systems, and guides their behaviors and approaches to problem-solving.

Mental models are formed through an individual's experiences, observations, and learning. As a person interacts with a system or encounters new information about it, they begin to form a mental representation of how that system works. This initial model may be incomplete or inaccurate. As the person continues to engage with the system and learn more about it, they refine and update their mental model.

Features of mental models:

1. Simplification: Mental models are simplified representations of reality, focusing on the key elements and relationships.

2. Subjectivity: Mental models are unique to each individual, based on their personal experiences and knowledge.

3. Adaptability: Mental models can change and adapt as new information is learned or new experiences occur.

4. Predictive power: Mental models allow individuals to anticipate future events and outcomes based on their understanding of the system, enabling them to make decisions and plan accordingly.

We can consciously formulate mental models and teach them to others. For example, a business leader might develop a mental model for effective decision-making and then share that model with their team through training and mentoring. By explicitly articulating and sharing mental models, we can help others understand complex systems and make better decisions.

Terms

• Cognition - the mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses. Mental models play a major role in cognition.

• Conceptual model - a representation of a system, made of the composition of concepts to help people understand or simulate the subject the model represents. It is cognitively adjacent to a mental model.

• Schema - a cognitive framework or concept that helps organize and interpret information. It is cognitively adjacent to a mental model.

An analogy

A mental model is like a map in your head for how something works. Just like how a map simplifies the complexity of the real world and helps you navigate, a mental model simplifies the complexity of systems like websites, people's behaviors, or economic principles to help you understand and interact with them.

A main misconception

Most people think mental models are always accurate representations of reality. However, mental models are based on a person's unique experiences and knowledge, so different people can form very different mental models of the same system. Mental models can also be flawed or overly simplistic.

The history

1. 1927 - Georges-Henri Luquet argued that children construct internal models, influencing Jean Piaget

2. 1943 - Kenneth Craik coined the term "mental model" and proposed that the mind constructs "small-scale models" of reality to anticipate events

3. 1983 - Philip Johnson-Laird published "Mental Models: Towards a Cognitive Science of Language, Inference and Consciousness"

4. 1983 - Dedre Gentner and Albert Stevens further elaborated on the concept in their book "Mental Models"

5. 2000s - Researchers like Don Norman applied mental models to human-computer interaction and usability

"The image of the world around us, which we carry in our head, is just a model. Nobody in his head imagines all the world, government or country. He has only selected concepts, and relationships between them, and uses those to represent the real system." - Jay Wright Forrester, pioneering computer engineer and systems scientist.

"The knowledge of certain principles easily compensates the lack of knowledge of certain facts" – Claude Adrien Helvétius, a French philosopher.

Three cases how to use it right now

1. When designing a website, consider the mental models users have formed from other sites. For example, most users expect to find the navigation menu at the top of a webpage. Designing your site to match common mental models makes it intuitive to use.

2. If you're having trouble understanding someone else's perspective, try to uncover the mental models they are using. What past experiences or knowledge could be shaping how they see the situation? Considering their mental models can help you empathize with their view.

3. When learning a new, complex subject, consciously build a mental model of how the key concepts relate to each other. Drawing a diagram or concept map can help. Refer back to your model as you learn more to refine and expand it. Having a clear mental model will deepen your understanding.

Interesting facts

• People's mental models of websites are largely influenced by the other sites they use most frequently. This is called "Jakob's Law of Internet User Experience".

• UX designers often create user personas - fictional characters based on research about their target users - to model the different mental models their users have.

• Experts tend to have more detailed and nuanced mental models compared to novices in their domain. This allows them to reason more effectively.

• Studies have found that using concrete metaphors and analogies can help students develop more accurate mental models when learning abstract concepts.

• Having an inaccurate or oversimplified mental model in domains like science or politics can lead to misinformed opinions and poor decisions.