Available Technologies

Technology

A mental model is an abstract psychological mapping of one’s perceptions and ideas about something. Research indicates that effective team functioning requires the existence of a shared or team mental model among members of a team. However, historically there has been a challenge with determining the best way to go about measuring team mental models.

Researchers at UAH have developed a Mental Models Acquisition Tool (MMAT) that provides a capability for describing one’s mental model of a process or task, especially those involving two or more members of a team. This software allows team members to draw a depiction of what they believe to be the major tasks, activities, roles, tools and products of the process being analyzed. These models are then automatically analyzed and compared by a skilled analyst to determine the degree of agreement and the concepts and relationships on which team members agree or diverge.

The MMAT is both easy to use and robust enough to capture fundamental knowledge about a team’s activities. Guided by a trained facilitator, team members can quickly learn better ways to communicate with each other and manage the team more effectively.