Mental Models
Mental Models
Mental Models (/ˈmɛntəl ˈmɒdəlz/) are psychological representations of real, hypothetical, or imaginary situations. They were first postulated by the American philosopher and cognitive scientist Kenneth Craik in his 1943 book, "The Nature of Explanation".
Etymology
The term "Mental Model" is derived from the words "mental", meaning "of the mind", and "model", which refers to a simplified representation of a system or phenomenon. Together, they describe a cognitive structure that represents one's thought process for how something works.
Definition
Mental Models are cognitive structures that individuals use to understand and interact with the world around them. They are formed through experience and learning and are used to anticipate events and predict outcomes. Mental Models can be simple, such as understanding how a door knob works, or complex, like understanding the functioning of the human body.
Related Terms
- Cognitive Bias: A systematic error in thinking that affects the decisions and judgments that people make.
- Heuristics: Mental shortcuts that ease the cognitive load of making a decision.
- Schema (psychology): A pattern of thought or behavior that organizes categories of information and the relationships among them.
- Cognitive Map: A type of mental representation which allows an individual to acquire, code, store, recall, and decode information about the relative locations and attributes of phenomena in their everyday or metaphorical spatial environment.
Importance
Mental Models play a crucial role in human cognition as they allow individuals to predict and understand the behavior of systems or situations they encounter. They are used in a wide range of fields, including psychology, artificial intelligence, and education.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Mental Models
- Wikipedia's article - Mental Models
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