Dharani, B., & April, K. (2022). Understanding and reformulating mental models. In Innovative Leadership in Times of Compelling Changes (pp. 155-169). Springer, Cham.
The book chapter aims to explore the ability of a human to form, understand and reformulate mental models throughout life. The method used in the chapter is description which enables the authors to explore the topic. The authors state that creating simplified models from earlier experiences and lessons learned from reality is an ordinary tendency of the mind. Contributions from any novel event experienced are managed by mental models in order to respond quickly to the stimulus, which serves an important purpose for survival (Dharani & April, 2022). Furthermore, mental models are built on background knowledge, so they are prone to mistakes if that information is inadequate, inaccurate, miscommunicated, misconstrued, or disregarded. They are vulnerable to generalization of reality, stale information, and poor implementation of knowledge in an individual is not well versed with the current ad accurate information.
The chapter is relevant to the topic because it provides detailed information concerning the formation of the mental model by stating that detecting risks to one’s survival is a fundamental purpose of the intellect. As such, one of the basic functions of the mind is to shield people from risks that may injure them, whether physically or mentally (Dharani & April, 2022). As a result, when someone confronts any external object or scenario, the mind retains the learnings from experience. With more experiences and learnings, the mind progressively constructs models, which it then uses in future events to predict outcomes when subject to relevant events. According to personal constructivism, humans shape their capabilities and learnings to understand routine life’s meaning and emotionally predict outcomes.
The chapter suggests models are an intrinsic section of various subjects for which model-building guidelines and standards are created in order for them to be accurately known by their audience by adhering to representational norms. Academic models, for example, are formed on prior information, a theoretical scheme of logical forms, respecting the prescribed customs for reasoning theories, and investigating their expansion to ensure precise reflection of their representation. Many academic models strive to improve predictability, which is the act of forecasting events with models using data and statistics. The unexpected changes to reasoning and the discovery of new truths, either through experience or the emergence of new research, make it difficult to have consistent mental models which are a challenge. This means that everyone is needed to deliberately look for ways to enhance their skills especially through practice and seeking feedback from experts.
Middleton, S. (2019). 8 Mental models for making decisions. Terem tech. Web.
The article aims to emphasize the significance of using mental models to make decisions. The article uses description as a methodology to state the steps that can help think and make better decisions. Utilizing the models implies that sturdy frameworks are constantly available to critically examine multiple possible scenarios and, hopefully, see alternate possibilities that would not be available otherwise. When choices do not go as planned, using models can help because at least the individual adopted the paradigm they thought was optimal at the moment of the decision. The author proposes steps when making decisions about individuals and other issues. The first step is to think about the principles of one’s model and stick to them. A solid set of principles can assist in making judgments faster, maintain consistency, and, most importantly, ensure that the action performed is compatible with one’s identity (Middleton, 2019). The next step is to reconsider the first thought by evaluating its credibility regarding and individual’s mental models. This involves assessing the consequences of the decision or viewpoint and deciding whether it is acceptable. Lastly, the author states that an individual’s mind should be flexible because beliefs should not be rigid, and learning opportunities must be taken as such.
The article is relevant to my research because it acknowledges that there are limitations in using mental models to make decisions about others due to differences in abilities and exposure. For instance, individuals who understand a particular subject are less likely to misinterpreted information compared to those with less detail about the same issue. Additionally, people can be led by emotions as opposed to logical conclusions to make impaired viewpoints about situations.
Tamir, D. I., & Thornton, M. A. (2018). Modeling the predictive social mind. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 22(3), 201-212. Web.
The article aims to explore the function of mental models in interacting with people. It addresses the value of mental models in anticipating the thoughts of others. The authors claim that people must anticipate the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of others in order to interact with them effectively. If one could not foresee that weary people often become frustrated or that agreeable persons frequently cooperate, it would not be easy to navigate the social environment. People’s ability to forecast social interactions is crucial to how they engage with others, and this ability is based on an individual’s knowledge of other people’s behavior or mental states (Tamir & Thornton, 2018). Lacking such understanding could lead to a social life full of mistakes, misunderstandings, and lost chances. Fortunately, the social mind seems to be adapted to the challenge of anticipating the thoughts and behaviors of others. Our infrequent mistakes merely emphasize how precise and natural daily social cognition is.
The article is relevant to mental model use because it acknowledges that due to differences in knowledge, exposure, experiences, and education, although predictions of state transitions are highly accurate, they are somewhat selfish and different among individuals. People’s distinctive emotional experiences influence their assessments of others’ probable expressive transitions (Tamir & Thornton, 2018). Even within the normal adult population examined in different situations so far, there is significant variation in the level of accuracy between individuals. By capturing relevant variance in social ability, the accuracy of emotion transition models may provide a good test of real-world social ability. The article states that mental models keep changing because they are formed by experiences that enlighten people about different approaches and strategies to apply to various life events. The perceptions of others within a short duration are determined by previous experiences, knowledge, and an individual’s character.