An emotional model, more precisely defined as an emotional mental model, is a fundamental part of an individual's broader mental models that is intrinsically linked to their cognitive processes. Essentially, it describes how people's expectations and thoughts about how things should look or work are directly connected to the emotions they experience.
Deeper Dive into Emotional Mental Models
Emotional mental models are not merely abstract concepts; they are the internal frameworks that dictate our emotional responses to the world around us. They are built upon our experiences, knowledge, and beliefs, shaping our perceptions and influencing how we react when those perceptions are either met or violated.
Key Characteristics
- Part of Mental Models: Emotional mental models are a specific component of the larger concept of mental models, which are internal representations of external reality that help us understand and interact with the world.
- Tied to Cognitive Models: They are inherently connected to cognitive models, which govern our thinking, reasoning, and problem-solving. This means that our emotions often arise from our cognitive interpretation of situations.
- Expectation-Emotion Link: A core tenet is the direct link between expectations/thoughts and emotions. When reality aligns with or deviates from our expectations, specific emotions are triggered.
How Emotional Mental Models Work
| Component | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Expectation | A pre-conceived notion or belief about how something should behave, appear, or function. | Expecting a website to load instantly or a new gadget to be intuitive. |
| Observation | The actual experience or perception of how something behaves, appears, or functions. | The website takes 10 seconds to load, or the gadget's interface is confusing. |
| Comparison | The mental process of comparing the observation to the expectation. | "This website is much slower than I expected." or "This gadget is harder to use than I thought." |
| Emotional Link | The resulting emotion tied to the outcome of the comparison. | Frustration (if slower than expected) or Satisfaction (if faster or easier than expected). |
Practical Implications and Examples
Understanding emotional mental models is crucial in various fields, especially in design, user experience (UX), and human-computer interaction (HCI). By anticipating users' emotional mental models, creators can design products, services, and environments that elicit positive emotions and avoid negative ones.
Examples:
- User Experience (UX) Design:
- Positive Example: A mobile app for ordering food allows users to customize their order exactly as they envisioned (meeting the "easy customization" expectation), leading to feelings of satisfaction and delight.
- Negative Example: A software update changes the layout of frequently used features (violating the "familiarity and efficiency" expectation), causing frustration and confusion among users.
- Customer Service:
- Positive Example: A customer calls support expecting a long wait time but is immediately connected to a helpful representative (exceeding the "quick resolution" expectation), resulting in relief and appreciation.
- Negative Example: A customer is promised a callback within an hour, but it takes half a day (violating the "timely communication" expectation), leading to annoyance and distrust.
- Product Development:
- Positive Example: A new smart home device learns user preferences over time (meeting the "intelligent and adaptable" expectation), fostering a sense of comfort and convenience.
- Negative Example: A product boasts advanced features but lacks basic functionality (violating the "core usability" expectation), resulting in disappointment and dissatisfaction.
By considering these models, designers and developers can create experiences that not only meet functional needs but also resonate emotionally with users, fostering loyalty and positive perceptions.
