Mental Model
What is it? Each person has their own mental model that represents the way they think, feel and/or behave in regards to everything. They are based on beliefs, not facts. Researchers seek to understand mental models (e.g. people’s ideas, understanding and relationships between various factors) as they relate to their research topic.
Mental models can also be used to express understanding (e.g. in a Venn diagram, a 2 x 2 matrix, a SWOT analysis, a journey map and other visual reference tools).
When is it best used? Ideally, mental models are explored in generative research when trying to understand an audience, and how they think, feel and experience the topic. Research conducted in the discovery phase can help uncover mental models and identify any mismatches between current perceptions and the audiences realities.
Mental models can be used to summarize, hypothesize, organize, clarify, inform, and express concepts, ideas, and other thinking, to gain a common understanding and or plan future actions.
What does it entail? Each person has their own set of beliefs about the way things work in the real world, and how the pieces of a system interact with each other. A person’s expectations about how a product should behave is informed by their individual experience, before the product, while using the product, using similar products, talking to other people, etc.
UX Researchers can use methods like interviews, surveys and card sorts to understand mental models and make recommendations to improve their experience.
In market research, mental models are often used to help individuals express how they view a topic (e.g. in 2 x 2 matrix).
Interchangeable term: NA
Use in a Sentence: We learned that user researchers’ mental models differ depending upon whether they are a beginner or a more advanced researcher and this was helpful to inform how the UX Lex may be used by various levels of research practitioners.
Related Terms: Ontology, mindset, systems thinking