Mental Models : Theory and Application inHuman Factors

JOHN R. WILSON' and ANDREW RUTHERFORD, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, England

고려대학교 산업경영공학과

김보람

Mental Models : Theory and Application inHuman Factors

1. Introduction

2. What are Mental Models? A Starting Point

3. Different Approaches in Ergonomics and Psychology

4. Mental Models and Theories of Knowledge Representation

5. Pictures in the Mind?

6. Use of Mental Models within Human Factors

7. Conclusions

1.Introduction

“Designing the machine to fit the human”

The importance ofemploying knowledge

of the users’ mental mod-

elsin specifying the dis-

play

1. Introduction

Mental Model theories developed and tested by cognitive psychologist

Human factors literature on system design

Cognitive ergonomicsthe application of psychological theories, models, and findings to problem of user interface design

Is Mental Model Panacea?

We don’t know if it has utility as an explanation of mind and behavior

Theory

Application

Difficulty to matching

2. What are Mental Models? A Starting Point

Toffler

“ Every person carries within his head a mental model of the world - a subjective representation of external reality”

Wickens

“hypothetical constructs that assist scientists in understanding behavior”

“Users’ conceptual models” “Conceptualization”

“Device model” “ Naive Theories”

Norman ＆ Young

Designer’s conceptual modelof the target system

User’s mental modelof the system

3. Different Approaches in Ergonomics and Psychol-ogy

Rouse and Morris

“The mechanism whereby humans are able to generate description of system purpose and form,

explanations of system functioning and observed system states, and predictions of future system state”

Rasmussen

“Internal representations of environmental factors that determine the interrelationships among observable environmental data”

Ergonomists Say

3. Different Approaches in Ergonomics and Psychol-ogy

Psychologist SayJohnson Laird

“enable individuals to make inferences and predictions, to understand phenomena, to decide

what action to take and to control its execution, and above all to experience events by proxy”

3. Different Approaches in Ergonomics and Psychol-ogy

1. One source of confusion between the psychological and human fac-tors notions of mental models lies in what the concept is employed to describe

2. Another source of confusion, at least with respect to Rasmussen’s account of mental models, is the claim that these are not psychological models but functional models

Human factors it is the product of such processes that is of concern

Rasmussen intends to communi-cate the product

Ergonomists

The attempt is to describe men-tal processes

Psychology is interested in both the function computed and the representation and algorithm(effective procedure) that com-pute the function

Psychologists

4. Mental Models and Theories of Knowledge Rep-resentation

FrameSce-

nario

Script

Schema

Frame of Restaurant

Roles Props

CustomerAttendanceChef Menu TableFood

SlotInput slots with appropriate in-formation whichFrom default value

4. Mental Models and Theories of Knowledge Rep-resentation

Frame

Sce-nario

Script

SchemaFram

e

Sce-nario

Script

Schema

Schemata

Frame

Sce-nario

Script

SchemaFram

e

Sce-nario

Script

Schema

Schemata

Mental model

Mental model Schemata

Mental models are regarded as the utilization of such information in a computationally dy-namic manner

schemata provide the procedures from which mental models are constructed

Schemata are taken to be data structures in memory, which can be activated

5. Pictures in Mind

Internal representation

a catchall term used to refer to some activity or state within the nervous system or a computer system that represents or is a token for some other entity

Internal representation Mental model

Propositional representation Analogical representation

Internal representation = Mental model

“Mental models are frequently pictorial or image like”

Visualization of system or more abstract data-processing models

“”

forms of

behavior

6. Use of Mental Models Within Human factors

They may be employed in general design guidance, as in such exhortations as "know the user's mental model“

To summon up the idea of a "picture in the mind" or an "envi-sionment“

To test the effects of different levels of training or task information on performance

used to estimate the complexity of system use in order to enhance system design

Programmed intermediaries encapsulating "knowledge“ of the human user

In the explanation and description of behavior

Mental model be employed as a tool in design

6. Use of Mental Models Within Human factors

The displays of a process or system must be compatible with op-erators' internal representations of the system

The displays themselves allow or determine that certain mental models be built up

"interface design can influence the formationof a user's mental model“

"the designer is obliged to ensure the usershave or construct an appropriate user model"

7. Conclusions

The mental model notion is part of a continual theoretical devel-opment

It is regarded as a step on the way to an explanation of mind and behavior

Human factors community is often tempted (indeed needs) to go beyond

this to obtain a tool to apply in systems or product design

7. Conclusions

Human factors researchers now agreed on terminology and notion

1. Designer’s conceptual model - design’s representation of user

2. User’s conceptual model - user’s representation of the system

3. User’s mental model - descriptions of the user's internal representations which are informed by theories from psychology

Thank You !