I thought I would make a rare appearance here on this one.
On 22 Mar 99 at 12:06, John Gunkler wrote:
> Yes, mental models can get in the way of understanding, and
> certainly can throw up impediments to changing one's understanding.
> But isn't it also true that without mental models we would find it
> impossible to think at all?
I think others have agreed, and so do I. Here's the brief explanation for
those that are interested. Our brains are basically limited capacity
information processing machines. They can only handle so much input, so
much "processing at once",etc. Brains actually filter out information
continuously (which is why we don't "hear" things once we become
accustomed to them).
We are also set up to react to NEW stimuli over old ones...in other words
old stuff (thing repeated are filtered out more), because we are set up to
deal with change (for survival effects).
The point of all this is that not only does this apply to sounds, stimuli,
etc, but we also need to reduce the complexity of our environments, and
for that we use concepts, language, categories, etc. It is those that are
actually, when strung together help form our mental models.
The mental models allow us to function by reducing the amount of active
processing we must do. The issue (flip side) is that since the purpose of
concepts, mental models is to reduce information load, one mental model
can exclude other mental models.
Not only do our mental models affect information but they also loop back
to the stimuli gating, so that our mental models are involved in what we
perceive.
Robert Bacal, author of PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT,(McGraw-Hill). Details at
http://members.xoom.com/perform and http://members.xoom.com/cooperate.
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