Dynamic Mental Models Research Articles

Results and methodology for classifying high risk pilots using CANFLY: A cognitive health screening tool for aviators

Cognitive health screening for aviators would assist in managing a shortage of experienced pilots. Extending pilot careers by optimizing their cognitive health would address both the number and quality of pilots available for airline and general aviation operations. The present work tested the validity of an online screening tool for pilots that measures aviation domain-relevant cognition. Sixty-five licensed pilots (18–80 years, M = 48.8, SD = 16.3) with varying levels of experience completed a 30-min online cognitive health screening tool for pilots. Risk status was determined via a novel metric using self-reported incidents. Machine learning algorithms identified the cognitive factors most useful in identifying pilots with increased risk for accidents and serious incidents. Support vector machines and boosted decision tree algorithms provided the most reliable and strongest classifications models of pilot risk. Findings support the use of this short online screening tool for highlighting performance issues with domain-relevant cognitive abilities based on the Dynamic Mental Model for pilots, such as situation awareness and prospective memory. Understanding personal cognitive challenges is the basis for customized skill maintenance designed to augment cognition for those interested in safely extending their piloting careers.

Phenomenological Origins of Psychological Ownership

Motivated by a set of converging empirical findings and theoretical suggestions pertaining to the construct of ownership, we survey literature from multiple disciplines and present an extensive theoretical account linking the inception of a foundational naïve theory of ownership to principles governing the sense of (body) ownership. The first part of the account examines the emergence of the non-conceptual sense of ownership in terms of the minimal self and the body schema—a dynamic mental model of the body that functions as an instrument of directed action. A remarkable feature of the body schema is that it expands to incorporate objects that are objectively controlled by the person. Moreover, this embodiment of extracorporeal objects is accompanied by the phenomenological feeling of ownership towards the embodied objects. In fact, we argue that the sense of agency and ownership are inextricably linked, and that predictable control over an object can engender the sense of ownership. This relation between objective agency and the sense of ownership is moderated by gestalt-like principles. In the second part, we posit that these early emerging principles and experiences lead to the formation of a naïve theory of ownership rooted in notions of agential involvement.

Applications of cybernetics to psychological theory: Historical and conceptual explorations

This article outlines links between cybernetics and psychology through the black box metaphor using a tripartite narrative. The first part explores first-order cybernetic approaches to opening the black box. These developments run parallel to the decline of radical behaviorism and advancements in information processing theory and neuropsychology. We then describe how cybernetics migrates towards a second-order approach (expanding and questioning features of first-order inquiry), understanding applications of rule-based tools to sociocultural phenomena and dynamic mental models, inspiring radical constructivism, and also accepting social constructivism. Psychology, however, enters the cognitive revolution, adhering to the computer metaphor of first-order cyberneticians to streamline human consciousness. The article concludes by outlining how second-order cybernetic approaches emerging in the 1990s may provide cues to psychologists to adopt mixed methods, and bioecological models in the information age, uniting understandings of observable human activity, inner perceptions, and physiological processes across contexts to understand consciousness.

Primary pupils, science and a model bird species: Evidence for the efficacy of extracurricular science education.

Beyond subject matter learning, primary science teaching aims at encouraging positive attitudes toward, and lasting interest in, science. This study tested whether the learning and science commitment of 8- to 10-year old pupils was affected by extracurricular learning opportunities involving repeated interactions with free-living northern bald ibis (Geronticus eremita; an endangered bird species) and professional researchers. To examine the project’s efficacy, pupils’ learning progress was monitored by repeated measures of knowledge (i) about northern bald ibises in specific, and (ii) of bird diversity in general. In addition, the children’s attitudes toward science were monitored and their dynamic mental models of northern bald ibis’ morphology and size were assessed from drawings. A total of 55 pupils from two schools were tested for eight months (before, during and after the experience). Control groups went through regular (curricular) science lessons with similar content and time investment. The extracurricular experience produced a clear learning progress with large effect sizes, which was particularly evident on a long timescale. In addition to subject matter knowledge, the project group pupils could name more bird species and expressed their views about the importance of scientific research for society in a higher proportion than control groups. Differences between schools suggest that project participation also changed the teacher’s own interest in northern bald ibises, which affected learning in the control group taught by the same teacher. Beyond the pupils’ language and reading skills, learning progress was also visible by scoring ibis-typical features in drawings; their mental models of relative size were not changed due to project participation, however. The results are discussed in reference to inducing and maintaining pupils’ attitude and interest in a topic. The study adds empirical evidence for the potentials of advancing primary science education e. g. by fostering the collaboration of schools with scientists.

Students' reasoning about chemical bonding: The lacuna of repulsion

AbstractThis article concerns a lacuna in chemistry students' reasoning about chemical bonding. Although chemistry students are familiar with the charges that make up the atom––both positive and negative––they refer only to the attraction between unlike charges. Specifically, they ignore the repulsion between the positive nuclei. We named this disregard of repulsion the lacuna of repulsion. Repulsion is a crucial component in the force‐based explanation of chemical bonding, presenting the bond as a dynamic equilibrium between attraction and repulsion electrical forces. We noticed this lacuna incidentally while interviewing chemistry students for a bigger project aimed at supporting students in understanding the force‐based explanation of chemical bonding. This article describes our systematic qualitative study of the lacuna of repulsion and its impact on mental models of 23 high school chemistry students. Our findings show that students use six mental models, most of them built upon each other. Beginning from a simple mental model that describes the chemical bond as electrons, continuing with the including attraction forces, and completing with repulsion and a dynamic view of the bond. Only when one considers both attraction and repulsion forces and understands the dynamic balance between them is it possible to build the force‐based dynamic mental model of chemical bonding.

How fast are those particles? – BIRC helps first‐year chemistry students to develop dynamic mental models on Maxwell's speed distribution

AbstractDas Verständnis physikochemischer Konzepte, welche auf dem Verhalten statistischer Entitäten beruhen, stellt eine Herausforderung für fachwissenschaftliche Studienanfänger der Chemie dar. Dazu tragen nicht nur die zur Vermittlung benötigten, anspruchsvollen mathematischen Repräsentationen bei. Der vorliegenden Studie liegt die Annahme zugrunde, dass mentale Modelle des dynamischen Verhaltens vieler Teilchen nötig sind, um die Konzepte auf der submikroskopischen Ebene zu durchdringen. Maxwells Geschwindigkeitsverteilung ist ein solches Konzept. Im Folgenden wird eine interaktive Online‐Lerneinheit vorgestellt, die die Erstsemesterstudierenden beim Aufbau solcher Vorstellungen unterstützen und deren Verknüpfung mit der mathematischen Repräsentation stärken soll. Mit Think‐Aloud‐, Interview‐ und Onlinebefragungen werden sowohl die aktivierten Studierendenvorstellungen analysiert, als auch Selbsteinschätzungen zum Lernerfolg der Probanden erhoben.

A Survey to Study PhD Direct after Graduating Masters: A Suggestive Flow Model

This survey presents the survey on motivation and suggestions from seniors to study Ph.D. direct after completion of masters study. This paper is prepared to form the survey, done on a Facebook closed group named “Ph.D. and Postdoc Positions”. The inquiry status was, “After Masters what are your suggestions: Ph.D. or Job”. The sample survey was done for 24 hours where 365 commentators commented on the post and found 49.45% of them suggested to do job directly after masters, other recommended to do Ph.D., Job & Ph.D. at the same time, do marry, self-business and others as travel, take rest and so on were 25.28% , 14.01%,5.22% ,3.02% and 3.02% respectively. According to the responses a dynamic mental model is formed to understand the entire suggestions.

Dynamic Mental Model Construction: A Knowledge in Pieces-Based Explanation for Computing Students’ Erratic Performance on Recursion

The Knowledge in Pieces (KiP) framework offers a powerful perspective to understand the dynamic nature of knowledge and knowledge development. However, there is still much we do not know about the mechanisms underlying the moment-to-moment knowledge construction process. The purpose of this study was to explore the ways in which contextual knowledge elements support that process. According to KiP, a knowledge element, once activated, becomes part of the context that shapes the activation, configuration, and operation of other elements. Based on this assumption, we hypothesized that when the structural and operational characteristics of these contextual knowledge elements are compatible with those of the target concept, the contextual knowledge elements can support the knowledge construction process. This hypothesis was investigated in the domain of recursion, a fundamental but challenging programming concept. Sixty undergraduate computer science students completed four recursion evaluation tasks with varying likelihood to induce compatible contextual elements. Results showed that students performed better on high-compatibility tasks than on low-compatibility tasks at both the group level and individual level. Further qualitative analysis identified the knowledge elements involved and elaborated and refined the explanatory model for the contextual support effect.

Reconstructing dynamic mental models of facial expressions in prosopagnosia reveals distinct representations for identity and expression

The human face transmits a wealth of signals that readily provide crucial information for social interactions, such as facial identity and emotional expression. Yet, a fundamental question remains unresolved: does the face information for identity and emotional expression categorization tap into common or distinct representational systems? To address this question we tested PS, a pure case of acquired prosopagnosia with bilateral occipitotemporal lesions anatomically sparing the regions that are assumed to contribute to facial expression (de)coding (i.e., the amygdala, the insula and the posterior superior temporal sulcus – pSTS). We previously demonstrated that PS does not use information from the eye region to identify faces, but relies on the suboptimal mouth region. PS's abnormal information use for identity, coupled with her neural dissociation, provides a unique opportunity to probe the existence of a dichotomy in the face representational system. To reconstruct the mental models of the six basic facial expressions of emotion in PS and age-matched healthy observers, we used a novel reverse correlation technique tracking information use on dynamic faces. PS was comparable to controls, using all facial features to (de)code facial expressions with the exception of fear. PS's normal (de)coding of dynamic facial expressions suggests that the face system relies either on distinct representational systems for identity and expression, or dissociable cortical pathways to access them. Interestingly, PS showed a selective impairment for categorizing many static facial expressions, which could be accounted for by her lesion in the right inferior occipital gyrus. PS's advantage for dynamic facial expressions might instead relate to a functionally distinct and sufficient cortical pathway directly connecting the early visual cortex to the spared pSTS. Altogether, our data provide critical insights on the healthy and impaired face systems, question evidence of deficits obtained from patients by using static images of facial expressions, and offer novel routes for patient rehabilitation.

Stepping into someone else's shoes: Children create spatial mental models from the protagonist's point of view

We know very little about children's ability to create complex mental models from verbal descriptions. This paucity might be explained by the difficulty of creating paradigms that would test analogous skills in this domain in children and adults. In two experiments we explored young children's ability to take the perspective of a character central to a described scene and to dynamically update object relations when the character moves. In Experiment 1, children were found to take the character's perspective when they learned the layout of objects in a real-life model. In Experiment 2 children learned the layout from text and gave responses to object location prompts in a computer-based task measuring response times on a touch screen. In line with predictions from adult spatial framework theory (Bryant, Tversky, & Franklin, 1992), children recalled objects fastest and more accurately that were placed in front or behind the character, and slowest for objects placed left or right. Based on a novel methodology, these findings reveal that children take an internal perspective on a described scene, which differs from the perspective they learned the layout from, indicating that at a young age children form rich, dynamic mental models of described scenes.

Seeing Change in Time: Video Games to Teach about Temporal Change in Scientific Phenomena

This article explores how learning biological concepts can be facilitated by playing a video game that depicts interactions and processes at the subcellular level. Particularly, this article reviews the effects of a real-time strategy game that requires players to control the behavior of a virus and interact with cell structures in a way that resembles the actual behavior of biological agents. The evaluation of the video game presented here aims at showing that video games have representational advantages that facilitate the construction of dynamic mental models. Ultimately, the article shows that when video game’s characteristics come in contact with expert knowledge during game design, the game becomes an excellent medium for supporting the learning of disciplinary content related to dynamic processes. In particular, results show that students who participated in a game-based intervention aimed at teaching biology described a higher number of temporal-dependent interactions as measured by the coding of verbal protocols and drawings than students who used texts and diagrams to learn the same topic.

Dynamic signaling of facial expressions transmit social information in a hierarchical manner over time

Designed by both biological (Susskind et al., 2008; Andrew, 1963) and social evolutionary pressures (Darwin, 1999/1872), facial expressions transmit specific sequences of information across time to achieve an optimal system of social signaling and decoding (Darwin, 1999/1872; Schyns et al., 2009). Here, we show for the first time that this dynamic signaling transmits social information over time in a hierarchical manner that fits evolutionary pressures. We proceeded in two steps. First, we used 4-dimensional (3-dimensional face over time) reverse correlation to reconstruct the dynamic mental models of the 6 basic facial expressions of emotion, for 60 Western Caucasian observers individually (Yu et al., 2012; Jack et al., 2012. See Figure S1, Panel A). Second, from the distribution of mental models, we constructed a 6-choice Bayesian classifier (see Bayesian Classifiers in Supplementary Material) that accrues Action Unit (AUs; Ekman et al., 1972) signals over time, as a function of their availability. Analyses revealed that early facial signalling leads to systematic confusions (p<.01. See Figure S1, Panel B, pink boxes) between fear and surprise (and also disgust and anger), due to specific shared AUs (eye lid raiser and nose wrinkler, respectively. See Figure S1, Panel C, pink boxes). Accurate discrimination of each one of the six basic emotions is delayed by the later availability of diagnostic AUs (e.g., eye brow raiser and upper lip raiser, respectively. See Figure S1, Panel C, green boxes). We conclude that the face transmits social signals in a hierarchical manner that fits evolutionary pressures: Initially, the eye lid raiser and the nose wrinkler signal two types of danger (Susskind et al., 2008; Lee et al., in press; Chapman et al., 2009), which, with the addition of diagnostic AUs, are distinguished further into the six basic emotions (e.g., surprise) and their subtypes (e.g., positive vs. negative surprise).

Dynamic mental models of culture-specific emotions

According to the Universality Hypothesis, facial expressions of emotion comprise a universal set of six basic signals common to all humans (i.e., happy, surprise, fear, disgust, anger, sad; Ekman et al., 1969). In contrast, Jack et al. (2012) demonstrate that although Western Caucasians (WC) represent the six basic emotions with the same dynamic facial movements, East Asians (EA) do not. This raises the questions of (1) what are the basic emotions in the EA culture? and (2) what are the corresponding culture-specific facial signals of emotion transmission? To address the first question, we clustered emotion words in WC (English, 50 observers) and EA (Chinese, 50 observers) culture. Each participant rated on a bipolar scale the pairwise similarity of selected emotion words in their own language (see Methods). We applied clustering analyses to these data. The English clusters comprised 8 emotion categories including the six basic ones, plus pride and shame (e.g., Tracey & Robins, 2004). In contrast, the Chinese clusters showed a more complex structure of 10 basic emotions (see Figure S1). Using the resulting basic emotion categories as response labels, we applied 4-dimensional reverse correlation (Yu et al. 2012) to reconstruct culture-specific face signals that transmit each emotion. As in Jack et al. (2012), on each experimental trial the observer viewed a random facial animation generated by computer graphics platform. Observers interpreted the facial animation as expressive when the facial movements corresponded with their mental representation of that emotion (Figure S2). Reverse correlation analyses produced, for each observer, a dynamic model per basic emotion. Our analyses revealed culture-specific facial expression signals, refuting the University Hypothesis. For the first time, we also derive the cultural face signals that articulate emotion communication in the EA culture (see Figure S3 for examples).

A comprehensive method for comparing mental models of dynamic systems

Mental models are the basis on which managers make decisions even though external decision support systems may provide help. Research has demonstrated that more comprehensive and dynamic mental models seem to be at the foundation for improved policies and decisions. Eliciting and comparing such models can systematically explicate key variables and their main underlying structures. In addition, superior dynamic mental models can be identified. This paper reviews existing studies which measure and compare mental models. It shows that the methods used to compare such models lack to account for relevant aspects of dynamic systems, such as, time delays in causal links, feedback structures, and the polarities of feedback loops. Mental models without those properties are mostly static models. To overcome these limitations of the methods to compare mental models, we enhance the widely used distance ratio approach ( Markóczy and Goldberg, 1995) so as to comprehend these dynamic characteristics and detect differences among mental models at three levels: the level of elements, the level of individual feedback loops, and the level of the complete model. Our contribution lies in a new method to compare explicated mental models, not to elicit such models. An application of the method shows that this previously non-existent information is essential for understanding differences between managers’ mental models of dynamic systems. Thereby, a further path is created to critically analyze and elaborate the models managers use in real world decision making. We discuss the benefits and limitations of our approach for research about mental models and decision making and conclude by identifying directions for further research for operational researchers.

Dynamic Mental Models in Weather Forecasting

There are many definitions, descriptions, and usages of the term “mental model.” Frequently, the definition of mental model is not described, leaving what the author means as an exercise for the reader. I propose a very explicit definition for a dynamic mental model and then show how that definition can be applied in the domain of meteorological forecasting. Specifically, I suggest that a dynamic mental model is a mix of images and propositions, relies on qualitative and spatial relationships, allows dynamic, runnable results to be inspected, and results in an inference. Finally, I offer suggestions on how to improve the usefulness of the term mental model.

The Use of Video Demonstrations and Particulate Animation in General Chemistry

Different visualization techniques have been used for teaching chemistry concepts. Previous studies have shown that when molecular animations and video demonstrations are used, students seem to better correlate all three levels of representation: macroscopic, submicroscopic, and symbolic. This thinking process allows the students to improve their conceptual understanding and ability to create dynamic mental models. In this study, general chemistry students viewed three experiments involving dynamic fluid equilibrium in a graphic design, a video demonstration, and a molecular animation. The study investigated whether video demonstrations or particulate animations helped the students' conceptual understanding, and if the order of visualizations (video or animation first) produced any differences. Students showed improvement after each visualization. Surprisingly, there was significant improvement in responses between the first and second visualization. This work shows the importance of combining both types of visualizations, but it does not indicate a preference toward a specific order.

Dynamic Strategic Thinking

Market analysts and marketing strategists stress understanding the fundamental dynamics of a market, but how deeply do they think about the interplay of such fundamentals and what frameworks do they use in such thinking? How do business schools teach managers to think this way? The premise of this article is that in their strategizing, senior marketing executives, boards of directors, consultants, and financial analysts should see the market and the firm’s embeddedness in a market as a moving video rather than a static snapshot. The authors propose that what makes the video move are fundamental feedback effects that create the evolutionary paths that a market and a firm may travel. A taxonomy of systemic feedback regularities is presented with applications that demonstrate how the taxonomy and proposed soft mapping techniques can be use to construct dynamic mental models that help managers and consultants improve their dynamic strategic thinking and the strategic foresight of firms.

Dynamic mental models in learning science: The importance of constructing derivational linkages among models

Dynamic mental models in learning science: The importance of constructing derivational linkages among models

Dynamic mental models in learning science: The importance of constructing derivational linkages among models

We present a theory of learning in science based on students deriving conceptual linkages among multiple models which represent physical phenomena at different levels of abstraction. The mod- els vary in the primitive objects and interactions they incorporate and in the reasoning processes that are used in running them. Students derive linkages among models by running a model (embodied in an inter- active computer simulation) and reflecting on its emergent behaviors. The emergent properties they iden- tify in turn become the primitive elements of the more abstract, derived model. We describe and illustrate derivational links among three models for basic electricity: a particle model, an aggregate model, and an algebraic model. We then present results of an instructional experiment in which we compared high school students who were exposed to these model derivations with those who were not. In all other respects, both groups of students received identical instruction. The results demonstrate the importance of enabling stu- dents to construct derivational linkages among models, both with respect to their understanding of circuit theory and their ability to solve qualitative and quantitative circuit problems. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 36: 806-836, 1999

Honest or Deceitful? A Study of Persons' Mental Models for Judging Veracity

This study focused on understanding the detailed and dynamic mental models that people develop for judging veracity. It was hypothesized that individual differences in such mental models, assessed by using Thagard's (1989) ECHO computer simulation program, would predict participants' attributions and confidence in making attributions. After watching videotapes of targets, 120 participants rated targets' veracity and their own confidence in making attributions. Half of these participants also provided “on-line” information that, in turn, was entered into ECHO. The two groups did not differ in their judgments of veracity, but the on-line group was significantly more confident. Results from ECHO and network analysis indicated not only that participants' mental models for detecting deception are detailed, changing, and idiosyncratic, varying in their structure and degree of coherence, but also that a number of previously unidentified cognitive structures are used for detecting deception. Results that confirm the hypotheses are also presented.