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Mental Model Formation

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About This MicroSim

This interactive visualization demonstrates how mental models form from various sources and influence how we interpret new information. Mental models are internal representations of how things work in the world, and understanding their formation is crucial for effective instructional design.

The Six Sources of Mental Models

Mental models are constructed from multiple input sources, each with its own strengths and potential for introducing misconceptions:

1. Direct Experience - Learning through hands-on interaction with the world. While powerful, it is limited to personal encounters and may miss broader patterns.

2. Observation - Watching others or phenomena without direct participation. We may misinterpret what we observe without proper context.

3. Instruction - Formal teaching from teachers, books, or courses. We may accept incorrect information from authority figures.

4. Analogy - Understanding new concepts by comparison to familiar ones. Analogies eventually break down, and differences matter as much as similarities.

5. Intuition - Unconscious pattern recognition based on past experience. Can be fooled by cognitive biases and heuristics.

6. Cultural Transmission - Knowledge passed down through social groups and traditions. May perpetuate outdated or incorrect beliefs.

The Filtering Effect

A critical insight from this visualization is how existing mental models act as filters for new information. The red dotted line shows how incoming data passes through our current understanding before reaching our mental model. This explains why:

  • People with different mental models can interpret the same evidence differently
  • Misconceptions are difficult to correct once established
  • Prior knowledge can both help and hinder learning

The Feedback Loop

The green feedback loop illustrates how our predictions and interpretations affect our mental models. When our predictions fail, we have opportunities to update our models, but this update process is not automatic and requires conscious reflection.

Outputs: How Mental Models Influence Behavior

Mental models shape four key cognitive processes:

  • Predictions - What we expect to happen in given situations
  • Interpretations - How we make sense of events and information
  • Problem-solving - The strategies we apply to challenges
  • Communication - How we explain concepts to others

How to Use

  1. Hover over any of the six input sources to see detailed descriptions, examples, and potential risks
  2. Click on any input source to see a specific example of how that source can contribute to forming a misconception
  3. Observe the animated flow of information through the filter and into the mental model
  4. Watch the feedback loop showing how outcomes can modify mental models

Lesson Plan

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

  1. Identify the six primary sources from which mental models are formed
  2. Explain how existing mental models filter incoming information
  3. Describe the role of feedback in modifying mental models
  4. Analyze how mental models influence predictions, interpretations, and behavior
  5. Recognize potential sources of misconceptions in their own learning

Discussion Questions

  1. Think of a belief you held that later turned out to be incorrect. Which source(s) contributed to forming that mental model?

  2. How might a teacher's mental model about how students learn affect their instructional design choices?

  3. Why might two experts in the same field have different mental models about the same phenomenon?

  4. How can instructional designers account for students' pre-existing mental models when creating learning materials?

  5. What role does metacognition (thinking about thinking) play in updating mental models?

Activity: Mental Model Mapping

Have students:

  1. Choose a concept they currently understand well
  2. Map which sources contributed to their current mental model
  3. Identify any misconceptions they previously held about this concept
  4. Trace how feedback or new information led to model updates
  5. Share and compare their maps with classmates

Design Implications for Instructional Designers

Understanding mental model formation has several implications for creating effective learning experiences:

  • Assess prior knowledge - Students' existing mental models will filter new information
  • Use multiple sources - Combining instruction, experience, and observation strengthens learning
  • Choose analogies carefully - Make limitations explicit to prevent misconception transfer
  • Provide feedback loops - Create opportunities for students to test predictions and update models
  • Make thinking visible - Help students become aware of their own mental models

Source Code

1
// See mental-model-formation.js for the full source code

View Source on GitHub

References

  • Johnson-Laird, P. N. (1983). Mental Models: Towards a Cognitive Science of Language, Inference, and Consciousness. Harvard University Press.
  • Norman, D. A. (1983). Some observations on mental models. In D. Gentner & A. L. Stevens (Eds.), Mental Models (pp. 7-14). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
  • Gentner, D., & Stevens, A. L. (Eds.). (1983). Mental Models. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
  • Chi, M. T. H. (2008). Three types of conceptual change: Belief revision, mental model transformation, and categorical shift. In S. Vosniadou (Ed.), International Handbook of Research on Conceptual Change (pp. 61-82). Routledge.