Let's put a person back into Cyber-Physical-Social research: Public Mental Models Framework

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Science
• Cyber-Physical-Social Systems (CPSS)
• Human-AI Interaction

Background:

• Understanding public behavior in critical situations is crucial for effective intervention.
• Existing Situation Awareness models lack focus on interpretive mechanisms of decision-making.
• Complex Cyber-Physical-Social Systems (CPSS) require integrated approaches to behavior analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• Introduce the Public Mental Models Framework (PMMF) for analyzing and predicting public behavior.
• Establish a link between mental models, behavior, situation awareness, and stress management.
• Enhance adaptive decision-making and person-AI collaboration in critical scenarios.

Main Methods:

• Developed the Public Mental Models Framework (PMMF).
• Analyzed internal and external indicators shaping perception and behavior across multiple levels.
• Integrated PMMF with Motivation-Opportunity-Ability (MOA) theory for behavioral assessment.

Main Results:

• PMMF provides a systematic approach to predict and influence public behavior in critical situations.
• Identified triggers and markers for behavioral deviations and stabilization under stress.
• Demonstrated PMMF's utility in assessing behavioral potential and performance within CPSS.

Conclusions:

• PMMF offers a novel approach to understanding meaning construction and decision-making in CPSS.
• The framework supports targeted interventions and resilience-oriented design for complex sociotechnical environments.
• Integration with MOA theory strengthens neuroergonomic evaluation and ethical behavior design.