Incollection,
Mental Models in Human-Computer Interaction
The Human Computer Interaction Handbook, chapter 3, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 3 edition, (2012)
DOI: 10.1201/b11963-5
Abstract
The chapter begins by reviewing and discussing the term 'mental models' as it has been used in the literature on human-computer interaction (HCI), and in the neighboring disciplines of cognitive psychology where it was first coined. There is little consensus on what exactly is and is not a mental model, and yet it is too widely used for any posthoc attempt at a narrower definition to somehow cleanse the field. In consequence, I characterize several layers of theoretical commitment that the term may embrace. To illustrate the argument, several classic and more recent studies from the HCI literature will be reviewed, with pointers to others.
