A
mental model is an explanation of someone's
thought process about how something works in the real world. It is a representation of the surrounding world, the relationships between its various parts and a person's intuitive perception about their own acts and their consequences. Our mental models help shape our
behaviour and define our approach to solving problems (think personal
algorithm) and carrying out tasks.
A mental model is a kind of internal symbol or representation of external reality, hypothesized to play a major role in cognition and decision-making. Once formed, mental models may replace carefully considered analysis as a means of conserving time and energy.
A simple example is the mental model of a wild animal as dangerous upon encountering a raccoon or a snake, one who holds this model will likely retreat from the animal as if by reflex. Retreat is the result of the application of the mental model, and would probably not be the immediate reaction of one whose mental model of wild animals was formed solely from experience with similar stuffed toy animals, or who had not yet formed any mental models about wild raccoons or snakes.
According to the theory of mental models, we are saving all perceived stimulation and observations to our memory in the form of models , which are designed on the basis sensory information, and are combined with already saved information. Prof. Jay Wright Forrester defined a mental model as "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.[1]
