Skip to content

Mentalmodell

mental model; internal representation of reality

noun men-TAHL-moh-del Rare
Mind & Emotions Mental States

Origin: from English 'mental model'

Usage Note

Mentalmodell is an internal cognitive representation of how something works in the real world. Used in cognitive science and UX: das Mentalmodell des Nutzers (the user's mental model). Distinct from Kognitionsmodell — a mental model is held by a person, not by scientists about the mind.

Examples

"Das Mentalmodell, das Kinder von der Physik haben, weicht oft von der Realität ab."

Natural Translation

The mental model that children have of physics often deviates from reality.

Literal Translation

The mental-model, that children of the physics have, deviates often from the reality.

Free starter pack

Building your German vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common German words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Explore German by topic