Decision Making / 1 / 1.4 / 1.4.1

1.4.1 Overview Of Cognitive And Concept Mapping Methodology

The mapping methodology used follows cognitive-mapping techniques of Eden (1988; 1994). Cognitive mapping derives from the Psychology of Personal Constructs developed by pioneering cognitive psychologist, George Kelly (1955). The principles of cognitive mapping indicated below reflect the interpretation of that theory primarily by Eden, and then by Eden and Ackermann, with subsequent adaptations by the author. In Eden’s terminology, a cognitive map is a personal or individual’s mind map. The term concept map is used to differentiate that form of mapping as it is applied to the representation of the views of several individuals in a single map. The term cognitive map recognises that cognition belongs to the individual and not to a group or organisation.

Cognitive- and concept-mapping techniques may be used for a variety of purposes although it is usual to focus on a specific problem. Cognitive and concept mapping are techniques used to map out the structure, to facilitate analysis and interpretation of the perspectives stakeholders have of particular problems. These perspectives, or accounts, can be verbal as might be presented during an interview, or discussion. Cognitive mapping can also be used as a note-taking method during an interview with the problem owner and provides a useful way of recording what was discussed during the interviews for later subsequent analysis. Cognitive mapping can be used to record transcripts of interviews, or other evidentiary activities, in a way that promotes analysis, questioning and understanding of the evidence, or information.

Kelly’s theory suggests that we develop our own individual hypotheses as we go through life, and use these to make sense of the world. We use and continually revise these hypotheses, or personal constructs, as we go through life to predict, all things being equal and on the basis of what we have experienced so far, how the world might be in the future. We then compare our current observations with our existing personal constructs to guide our choices about how and when to act or intervene in order to achieve what we desire within that world. Alternatively stated, we act, as Kelly suggests a scientist might, in a predict-and-control way, when faced with our daily problem solving challenges.

It may be helpful, at this stage, to use a metaphor in which we liken the completed concept map of a given problem to viewing the world from a helicopter. When we view the landscape from our helicopter we see various prominent features and landmarks. These features may be likened to the ideas or notions captured in the concept map. We may use this to compare with our existing perceptions of the world and, later, we might use this revised view as an aid to simulating mentally our way through the problem space, our metaphorical landscape.

When viewing a city landscape from a helicopter, we might choose to identify how each landmark or feature can be accessed via the more familiar ground-based transport infrastructure, which we encounter daily when commuting. An increasing number of alternate links between destinations of interest become clear to us as we view the whole landscape. We quickly become aware of alternate links or routes between landmarks and features of interest, and develop a heightened awareness of broader aspects of the topology. During daily commuting we are primarily interested in particular links such as the shortest available route, noting that the shortest might not always be the quickest or most reliable.

Having had our helicopter-view experience we are likely to be more aware of traffic jam locations, how traffic jams build up, and how they dissipate. When we next commute, we are very likely to carry with us a new mental picture, or mental model, of the world around us and be better able to avoid traffic jams or trouble spots. In a similar way, concept mapping is intended to help us develop an appreciation of the nature of a problem of interest. Mapping aims to formalise the processes which might lead to creating awareness of the landmarks or features in a problem’s landscape, that is, concepts, ideas or notions and routes between them, that is, interrelationships or links.

In order to build a complete helicopter view of a problem, we need to identify the concepts and then build the map through a step-by-step process. This involves thinking carefully about the nature of the links between pairs of concepts.