Team mental models: Techniques, methods, and analytic approaches

Effective team functioning requires the existence of a shared or team menta l model among members of a team. However, the best method for measuring tea m mental models is unclear. Methods reported vary in terms of how mental mo del content is elicited and analyzed or represented. We review the strength s and weaknesses of various methods that have been used to elicit, represen t, and analyze individual and team mental models and provide recommendation s for method selection and development. We describe the nature of mental mo dels and review techniques that have been used to elicit and represent them . We focus on a case study on selecting a method to examine team mental mod els in industry. The processes involved in the selection and development of an appropriate method for eliciting, representing, and analyzing team ment al models ate described. The criteria for method selection were (a) applica bility to the problem under investigation: (b) practical considerations - s uitability for collecting data from the targeted research sample; and (c) t heoretical rationale - the assumption that associative networks in memory a re a basis for the development of mental models. We provide an evaluation o f the method matched to the research problem and make recommendations for f uture research. The practical applications of this research include the pro vision of a technique for analyzing team mental models in organizations, th e development of methods and processes for eliciting a mental model from re search participants in their normal work environment, and a survey of avail able methodologies for mental model research.