Mental Method Essay Example

based on our cultural background. Many people are unaware of the impact of their own culture until they experience life in a different country. Another way to detect implicit models is through peer groups. When spending time with a particular group, individuals tend to conform and adjust their mental models to align with the group leader.

This behavior is typical but often goes unnoticed. The media has a significant impact on our perception of reality through different channels such as shows, magazines, newspapers, and movies. All these sources are built on assumptions that reinforce our mental models. Systemic thinking is a process that aids in comprehending and resolving complex problems and situations. It takes into account the behavior of the entire organism and its response to external influences. Conversely, holistic thinking examines the entirety of complexity rather than focusing on individual components. Nonetheless, there are instances where it is necessary to consider the broader perspective. Holistic thinking simplifies intricate matters by considering multiple partial viewpoints. By understanding the meaning and definition of a system, we can streamline and rationalize our mental models. Both systemic and holistic thinking guide our mental models and assist us in simplifying and resolving diverse situations.

Systemic thinking is a part of holistic thinking, which itself is a component of the mental model. However, there are limitations to the mental model, and the available facilitation methods are not primarily designed for measuring it but rather for improving it. In the process of measurement, the participant's mental model typically undergoes alterations. Additionally, when the facilitator introduces their ideas into the measurement process, participants also contribute their own ideas and feedback, resulting in changes to

the group's mental models. Consequently, during the initial stage of changing a client's mental model, it is impossible to assess intervention effectiveness as no data has been collected prior to intervention.

In a typical intervention, the initial focus is on understanding and deriving mental models from clients. Subsequently, evidence is collected and combined to evaluate changes in the desired mental model. To ensure accuracy, it is essential to measure the mental model at both the beginning and end of the intervention. This prevents potential bias caused by clients providing different feedback based on their perception of what the intervener wants to hear. Addressing this issue requires assessing client mental models during the post-test rather than at the conclusion of the intervention. Research has demonstrated that interventions promoting improved dynamic mental models through systems thinking are more readily accepted and satisfying. Psychological studies indicate that when introducing a new mental model, it does not entirely replace the previous one but instead competes with it in memory.

The mind tends to rely on familiar mental models that have been frequently used and are stored in long-term memory when making decisions. It is important to regularly practice newly developed mental models so they are not easily forgotten. However, forming a group can limit the diversity of mental models as consensus often leads to everyone adopting the shared model. To evaluate changes in a mental model, individual members should express their own models and compare them with others.

When groups engage in brainstorming, valuable information can be overlooked, as research has shown that brainstorming in a group setting typically results in fewer ideas and lower quality compared to individuals working alone. This

is because group dynamics can interrupt the flow of ideas and thoughts. Moreover, when the facilitator assumes the role of measuring mental models, issues may arise. The facilitator's involvement in explaining and summarizing participants' ideas, as well as steering the discussion in a specific direction, can influence participants' perceptions of what is better or more favorable. Consequently, the conversation may be biased towards the facilitator's intentions rather than the genuine ideas of the participants. Additionally, important information may be lost as the facilitator determines when to conclude or move on to the next topic. When the facilitator poses questions that participants may not have sufficient knowledge about, it can lead to unreliable details as participants resort to wild guessing. Furthermore, the tasks assigned by the facilitator to clients in sessions may be ill-defined and differ from how people naturally make decisions.Altering the nature or subject of the inquiries can potentially completely alter the client's cognitive framework based on their existing recollections. Hence, the decision-making process should align with the familiar task at hand.

Introducing new methods to individuals for describing their thinking has the potential to alter how clients' mental models are structured and what they contain. However, if these new procedures are not properly understood, errors and misunderstandings can occur. It is crucial to present mental models in a manner that aligns with typical communication styles. Mental models should also be viewed as an integral part of system thinking.

In system thinking diagrams, there are two ways to visualize mental models: thoughts connected by arrows, where the thought explains the reasoning behind a choice or action represented by the link; and variables that measure how much

a specific model is embraced. Our mental model is depicted through system thinking diagrams. It encompasses beliefs, ideas, information, and opinions, all of which can undergo change under certain circumstances.

System thinking does not rely on random processes; instead, it relies on mental models to generate ideas and solutions. The thinking process involves rationality, logic, or any other type of thinking. For instance, if something malfunctions in your computer, you might initially attribute the problem to a particular component based on your mental model. However, further causal reasoning may reveal that your initial notion was incorrect and the error lies elsewhere.System thinking aids in structuring and integrating existing ideas and information within our mental models.

The variation of mental models among individuals depends on their culture and environment. Mental models are personal thoughts that can be influenced by systems thinking in order to understand the consequences of these ideas.

Reference

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mental_model
2. http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/mental-models.html