Mental model

A mental model is an explanation in someone's thought process for how something works in the real world. The idea is believed to have been originated by Kenneth Craik in his 1943 book The Nature of Explanation. After the early death of Craik in a bicycle accident, the idea was not elaborated on until much later. One of the first to do so was Philip Johnson-Laird, a psychology professor at Princeton University. Since then there has been much discussion and use of the idea in human computer interaction and usability.