We explain what a model is and what formal and informal models are. Furthermore, the various meanings that this term has.
What is model?
The concept of model comes from Italian modelbeing a diminutive of modus, which means manner. The truth is that the term has an immense number of uses, but they all have in common that a model is a wayis something that is capable of being abstracted and analyzed outside of its simple practical application.
Perhaps for this reason the best way to begin an analysis of the term is to stop at the systemic models. These models are simplified representations of reality, which manage to take it to an area where it is easier to study and compare variables.
Mental models are representations that are made in an imaginary way. about reality. Each individual will have their own system of beliefs, values and thoughts that will lead them to model what they see in different ways. Almost all sciences have modeling as one of their main tasks to theorize about issues that develop in practice.
In general the representations of the models They can be done through drawings, graphs or mathematical expressionsbut it may also have to be done in writing. These scientific models (which include mathematical, physical, economic and medical models) can be characterized in different ways:
- The formal models. They are those that are expressed from a specific and concrete language. They are the only models that have great precision, which makes them much easier to apply and compare accurately. Computing has meant a quantitative leap in this type of models, with a much greater capacity to simulate scenarios.
- The informal models. They are the ones that also express themselves, but not in a formal and precise language but in a symbolic way. They can be manifested in written or verbal form, as well as through causal relationships with symbols such as arrows.
On the other hand, in the scientific world a model is understood as another question: All scientific research is framed in a context of time and spacethat although the scientist wants to abstract himself, he will somehow generate a series of consensuses, a set of practices that define the scientific discipline at that moment.
The word paradigm but also 'model' refer to these practices, which include the type of questions that the scientist should ask, the way in which the results of the research are interpreted, the equipment available for carrying out experiments and the ethical consensus in research. These models are not eternal; on the contrary, situations occur that cause them to change completely.
From From an artistic point of view, a model is a person who poses for a sculpturedrawing or any visual expression. When it comes to fashion, a model is a dress with unique characteristics, made by a certain couturier and differentiated from all other clothing items of the same brand in particular by its design.
The word model, however, is also used to refer to the person who puts on a garment or accessory in order to show it to third parties. It is curious that this term is used since it is stated in many areas that brands look for people with very similar bodies, generally very skinny and attractive. In this way, we practically achieve a modeling of the human body.
In people's behavior, a model is a reference point that will be useful to seek to reproduce. It is called a role model, and it can occur when a person observes another and feels that they would like to reach where they have reached, or also when a person acts correctly, and others are expected to imitate their behavior. This is also called a model citizen. It even transcends the individuality of people, and we can speak of a model country when someone wants to imitate their policies, or in a model company when another wants to repeat an experience that she lived.
