What is the mental model theory in reasoning?

The mental model theory of reasoning, developed by Philip Johnson-Laird and Ruth M.J. Byrne, proposes that humans solve problems and make deductions by constructing internal, small-scale representations of external reality in their minds. Originally conceptualized by Kenneth Craik to explain how people anticipate events, mental models have since been applied to deductive inferences, probabilistic thinking, and counterfactual reasoning.

What we know

• The mental model theory of reasoning was developed by Philip Johnson-Laird and Ruth M. J. Byrne. [2, 3]
• The term mental model was coined in 1943 by Kenneth Craik, who suggested the mind constructs small-scale models of reality to anticipate events. [2]
• The theory has been applied to major domains of deductive inference, including relational, propositional, quantified, and meta-deductive inferences. [3]
• Subsequent research has extended mental model theory to account for probabilistic inference and counterfactual thinking. [3]

Where to go next

• whoWho were Philip Johnson-Laird and Ruth M. J. Byrne?
• the bigger pictureHow does cognitive psychology study human reasoning?
• a case in pointWhat are relational and propositional inferences?
• how it workedHow do mental models shape problem-solving behavior?
• whenHow did Kenneth Craik introduce the concept in 1943?
• an unexpected connectionHow do mental models relate to theory of mind?Both concepts involve internal cognitive representations of reality, though mental models focus on physical processes and reasoning, while theory of mind focuses on ascribing mental states to others.

Sources

• [1]mental model (Wikidata Q1851867) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Mental model · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Mental model theory of reasoning · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Cognitive psychology · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Theory of mind · CC BY-SA 4.0