Mental Models Theory: Applications for Library and Information Science

Abstract
This article provides a brief explanation of mental models theory, a summary of the ways in which mental models theory has been used in library and information science (LIS) research, and a description of one phase of a research study where mental models theory has been used as a framework for understanding the cognitive behavior of librarians and public library users as they interact during a reference transaction. In this study, perceived difficulty of a reference question was used as an indicator of mental models held by librarians and users. Analysis of thirty-three pairs of interviews suggested that different mental models may account for differences in perceptions of the difficulty of a reference question, both before and after the search. Suggestions for future research are provided.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: