ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses 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. The chapter analyses several layers of theoretical commitment that the term may embrace, following an earlier discussion. It reviews the argument, several classic and more recent studies from the HCI literature, with pointers to others. The chapter is based on material published in Payne. The user’s mental model of the device is one of the more widely discussed theoretical constructs in HCI. Alongside wide-ranging research literature, even commercial style guides have appealed to mental models for guidance.
