Definition: "Like a pane of glass framing and subtly distorting our vision, mental models determine what we see." - Peter Senge
mental model - a phrase first coined by Scottish psychologist Kenneth Craik in the 1940s refers to the psychological representations of reality. They constitute the images, assumptions, and stories about people, cultures, objects and events.
Mental Models are established by past events, experiences, media and other messages we receive, and serve going forward as filters through which we observe, interpret and respond to the world. They shape what we see and hear, what we feel and what we do. Mental models give birth to stereotypes.
The challenge with mental models is that they limit our ways of thinking and behaving. The good news, however, is that they have the potential to evolve through ongoing learning and interaction with new individuals and environments. Becoming aware of our mental models, which are often invisible, is the first step to effectively evolving them - and therefore, to personal growth. The book "Intercultural Communication" devotes an entire chapter the the subject of mental models, highlighting additional examples, exploring the connection between cultural worldviews and mental models, discussing how mental models drive behavior, identifying mental models that may pose challenges in intercultural situations, exploring how to shift mental models and demonstrating how stereotypes drive behavior.
mental model - a phrase first coined by Scottish psychologist Kenneth Craik in the 1940s refers to the psychological representations of reality. They constitute the images, assumptions, and stories about people, cultures, objects and events.
Mental Models are established by past events, experiences, media and other messages we receive, and serve going forward as filters through which we observe, interpret and respond to the world. They shape what we see and hear, what we feel and what we do. Mental models give birth to stereotypes.
The challenge with mental models is that they limit our ways of thinking and behaving. The good news, however, is that they have the potential to evolve through ongoing learning and interaction with new individuals and environments. Becoming aware of our mental models, which are often invisible, is the first step to effectively evolving them - and therefore, to personal growth. The book "Intercultural Communication" devotes an entire chapter the the subject of mental models, highlighting additional examples, exploring the connection between cultural worldviews and mental models, discussing how mental models drive behavior, identifying mental models that may pose challenges in intercultural situations, exploring how to shift mental models and demonstrating how stereotypes drive behavior.
Examples: For example on the topic of marriage:
- Men think: ball and chain, wedding, wife, children, shackles, forever, prison, no more dating
- Women think: security, wedding celebration, happiness, baby, husband, tradition