Pamela McGillivray asked about mental models.
I am going to respond by ignoring the words 'mental models' and using
system of beliefs.
Everyone has a set of beliefs. these beliefs cause us to act and react in
predetermined ways to external stimuli. these actions quickly become
habitual. Every time we are in a situation that seems similar or the same
as a past situation we act out of habit with little or no new thoughts.
Senge does a good job of explaining this and calls it the Ladder of
Inference, Joel Barker called it paradigms and I have heard psychologists
use the word schema (spelling). Mid set is another way . To me they are
all trying to explain what we laymen call closed minded or pig headed.
Mental models or beliefs cause us to be closed minded in some way at some
times. If a situation does not fit our beliefs our brain automatically
tries to make it fit.
I see this all the time when introducing mangers to new management ideas.
The ideas are similar but no the same so they put it into an old pigeon
hole that seems most like it and miss the point entirely.
They are a powerful factor in human relation ships and computer
relationships.. For example. if a mangers believes the problem is that
people do not care then when there is a catastrophe he or she looks for
some one to blame. And because of their belief system they find them and
blame them. And in some cases cause people to be the problem. If the
manager believes the system broke down he will find a broken system. And
he will fix it.
Both may be right or wrong but it has great impact n relationships and
attitudes in an organization.
The belief system is multifaceted and complex and developed over a
lifetime so my example is weak .
Mangers have over the past 20 or 30 years seen computers as the solution
to all their problems Something they could buy that would take away their
headaches. Their expectations were high and they keep on buying to fix
their organizations. I see computers as nothing more than a communication
tool so my expectations are lower but we all have some kind of
expectations from them.
My two cents and rambling around your topic. i have been interested .
Best of luck in your work.
Gene
At 04:10 PM 4/14/98 +1000, you wrote:
>As part of a study program I am involved in, I have been asked to present
>on the topic of Mental Models and their significance to HCI (Human
>Computer Interaction, also known as Human Factors).
--Eugene Taurman <ilx@execpc.com>
Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>