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FINDING PATHS OR GETTING LOST? – Examining the Mental Model Construct and Mental Model Methodology

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FINDING PATHS OR GETTING LOST? – Examining the Mental Model Construct and Mental Model Methodology Linköping University | Department of Computer Science Master’s thesis, 30 credits | Cognitive Science Spring 2017 | ISRN LIU-IDA/KOGVET-A--17/009--SE FINDING PATHS OR GETTING LOST? – Examining the mental model construct and mental model methodology Jimmy Hammarbäck Supervisor: Rita Kovordányi External supervisor: Jonas Hallberg Examiner: Arne Jönsson Linköping University SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden +46 013 28 10 00, www.liu.se Upphovsrätt Detta dokument hålls tillgängligt på Internet – eller dess framtida ersättare – under 25 år från publiceringsdatum under förutsättning att inga extraordinära omständigheter uppstår. Tillgång till dokumentet innebär tillstånd för var och en att läsa, ladda ner, skriva ut enstaka kopior för enskilt bruk och att använda det oförändrat för ickekommersiell forskning och för undervisning. Överföring av upphovsrätten vid en senare tidpunkt kan inte upphäva detta tillstånd. All annan användning av dokumentet kräver upphovsmannens medgivande. För att garantera äktheten, säkerheten och tillgängligheten finns lösningar av teknisk och administrativ art. Upphovsmannens ideella rätt innefattar rätt att bli nämnd som upphovsman i den omfattning som god sed kräver vid användning av dokumentet på ovan beskrivna sätt samt skydd mot att dokumentet ändras eller presenteras i sådan form eller i sådant sammanhang som är kränkande för upphovsmannens litterära eller konstnärliga anseende eller egenart. För ytterligare information om Linköping University Electronic Press se förlagets hemsida http://www.ep.liu.se/. Copyright The publishers will keep this document online on the Internet – or its possible replacement – for a period of 25 years starting from the date of publication barring exceptional circumstances. The online availability of the document implies permanent permission for anyone to read, to download, or to print out single copies for his/hers own use and to use it unchanged for non- commercial research and educational purpose. Subsequent transfers of copyright cannot revoke this permission. All other uses of the document are conditional upon the consent of the copyright owner. The publisher has taken technical and administrative measures to assure authenticity, security and accessibility. According to intellectual property law the author has the right to be mentioned when his/her work is accessed as described above and to be protected against infringement. For additional information about the Linköping University Electronic Press and its procedures for publication and for assurance of document integrity, please refer to its www home page: http://www.ep.liu.se/. © Jimmy Hammarbäck ii ABSTRACT Mental models have been a popular concept for more than 30 years and used to explain many phenomena of human life – from logical reasoning and problem-solving to narrative comprehension and the understanding of complex dynamic systems. As such, the mental model has been studied with a great variety of techniques, from the cognitive interview and verbal protocol analysis to observations and computer-based network algorithms. However, while the concept has a keen interest, there exists no consensus on what a mental model is. Nor what methods to use when studying them. Instead, most researchers have used their own vague, and often intuitive, descriptions of the construct, resulting in an abundance of incomplete and incompatible concepts that have been studied without many methodological considerations. This thesis aims to examine the mental model concept, and provide a working definition by describing associated functions, characteristics and nature. Moreover, a new methodological framework is developed and used as means to highlight mental model methodological issues. Lastly, given the lack of mental model methodological issues in research, the Pathfinder technique is validated as a starting point of this important field of study. Among the results, it is concluded that the Pathfinder technique is not valid. Consequently, researchers should be wary of Pathfinder technique’s limited use in complex domains, such as information security. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS How did I get here? While this question cannot be described in detail, I can be philosophically vague and suggest that it is the result of the environment pushing and pulling me on paths that have led me to this point. While some events and people on this journey have had a greater impact, it is my contention that even small nudges have changed my way (or at least attention). Thus, to all of you that have been part of my life, and affecting my path in direct or indirect manner – I thank you all. To my wife, Madeleine, I thank for the love and support. I thank for the time and thought. You are my 42! To the Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI), I think you all for the opportunity to be part of your institution. A special thank goes to Jonas Hallberg, Johan Bengtsson, and Henrik Karlzén for all the input. Your expertise inspires me to be more than I am. To all participants, I thank you all for making this thesis possible. Finally, thank you Rita Kovordany at Linköping university, for being an incisive critic and guiding me to be better. iv CONTENT 1. FINDING PATHS TO MENTAL MODELS ........................................................ 1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................... 1 Research objectives ............................................................................................................ 2 Research questions ............................................................................................................. 2 Scope and limitations ......................................................................................................... 3 THESIS DISPOSITION AND APPROACH .............................................................................. 3 2. DEFINING THE MENTAL MODEL CONCEPT .............................................. 5 EXISTING DESCRIPTIONS OF MENTAL MODELS ................................................................ 6 DIFFERENT TYPES OF MODELS ...................................................................................... 10 MENTAL MODEL FUNCTIONS ........................................................................................ 11 Predict .............................................................................................................................. 11 Infer and explain .............................................................................................................. 12 Simulate ............................................................................................................................ 13 MENTAL MODEL CHARACTERISTICS ............................................................................. 13 Limited .............................................................................................................................. 13 Structurally similar .......................................................................................................... 14 Mental models are tokens of the situation ........................................................................ 15 Mental models depend on prior knowledge ..................................................................... 16 Mental models are dynamic ............................................................................................. 17 Mental models are multi-modal, temporal, and abstract representations ....................... 17 THE NATURE OF MENTAL MODELS ................................................................................ 18 MENTAL MODEL AND THE HUMAN BRAIN ..................................................................... 19 A WORKING DEFINITION ............................................................................................... 20 CHAPTER SUMMARY AND DISCUSSION .......................................................................... 21 3. MODELING MODELS ........................................................................................ 24 v REPRESENTATIONS OF REPRESENTATIONS OF REPRESENTATIONS… ............................. 25 MENTAL MODEL METHODOLOGY .................................................................................. 25 A NEW FRAMEWORK ..................................................................................................... 26 Elicitation techniques, M(t) .............................................................................................. 27 Representation techniques, C(M(t)) ................................................................................. 29 Modelling representation techniques, C(C(M(t))) ........................................................... 32 Framework overview ........................................................................................................ 33 USING THE FRAMEWORK .............................................................................................. 34 CHAPTER SUMMARY AND DISCUSSION .......................................................................... 37 A new framework .............................................................................................................. 37 4. EXAMINING THE VALIDITY OF THE PATHFINDER TECHNIQUE ..... 42 PARTICIPANT’S REPRESENTED STRUCTURES ................................................................. 43 THE PATHFINDER REPRESENTED STRUCTURES.............................................................. 44 Analyzing graphical
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