Waypoints on a journey of discovery: mental models in human- environment interactions

Lynam, Timothy, Mathevet, Raphael, Etienne, Michel, Stone-Jovicich, Samantha, Leitch, Anne, Jones, Nathalie, Ross, Helen, Du Toit, Derick, Pollard, Sharon, Biggs, Harry and Perez, Pascal (2012) Waypoints on a journey of discovery: mental models in human- environment interactions. Ecology and Society, 17 3: 23.1-23.11.


Author Lynam, Timothy
Mathevet, Raphael
Etienne, Michel
Stone-Jovicich, Samantha
Leitch, Anne
Jones, Nathalie
Ross, Helen
Du Toit, Derick
Pollard, Sharon
Biggs, Harry
Perez, Pascal
Title Waypoints on a journey of discovery: mental models in human- environment interactions
Journal name Ecology and Society  (ERA 2012 Listed)    (ERA 2010 Rank B)   Check publisher's open access policy
Publication date 2012
Sub-type Article
DOI 10.5751/ES-05118-170323
Volume number 17
Issue number 3
ISSN 1708-3087
Start page 23.1
End page 23.11
Total pages 11
Place of publication Waterloo, ON, Canada
Publisher Resilience Alliance Publications
Collection year 2013
Language eng
Abstract Although the broad concept of mental models is gaining currency as a way to explore the link between how people think and interact with their world, this concept is limited by a theoretical and practical understanding of how it can be applied in the study of human-environment relationships. Tools and processes are needed to be able to elicit and analyze mental models. Because mental models are not directly observable, it is also important to understand how the application of any tools and processes affects what is measured. Equally important are the needs to be clear on the intent of the elicitation and to design the methods and choose the settings accordingly. Through this special edition, we explore how mental models are elicited using two approaches applied in two case-study regions. We analyze two approaches used in the Crocodile River catchment of South Africa: a graphically based approach, i.e., actors, resources, dynamics, and interactions (ARDI); and an interview- or text-based approach, i.e., consensus analysis (CA). A further experiment in the Rhone Delta (Camargue), France, enabled us to test a cross-over between these two methods using ARDI methodology to collect data and CA to analyse it. Here, we compare and explore the limitations and challenges in applying these two methods in context and conclude that they have much to offer when used singly or in combination. We first develop a conceptual framework as a synthesis of key social and cognitive psychology literature. We then use this framework to guide the enquiry into the key lessons emerging from the comparative application of these approaches to eliciting mental models in the two case regions. We identify key gaps in our knowledge and suggest important research questions that remain to be addressed.
Keyword ARDI
Consensus analysis
France
Mental models
Q-Index Code C1
Q-Index Status Confirmed Code
Institutional Status UQ
Additional Notes Article # 23

Document type: Journal Article
Sub-type: Article
Collections: School of Agriculture and Food Sciences
Official 2013 Collection
 
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