Joe Paterno and Penn State Mental Models

Using Mental Models to Understand the Joe Paterno and Penn State Scandal

We often talk about avoiding wipe-out risk on this blog.  In fact, avoiding wipe out risk is one of the main reasons to study mental models because it takes a lifetime to build a reputation and only a few minutes to destroy it.  I can think of no better real-world case study than the Joe Paterno and Penn State debacle that has dominated the news cycle (and rightly so) for the past few days.  

Wendy's Hot 'n Juicy Dave Cheeseburger

Wendy’s Brilliantly Relies on Mental Models from Psychology to Reinvent the Classic Wendy’s Cheeseburger

Wendy’s recent commercial introducing the remade cheeseburger named after founder Dave Thomas is one of the best examples of marketing and psychology I’ve ever seen.  It’s brilliant; mental models applied in a constructive way.   I’m not going to take the fun out of it, but be on the lookout for some of the clues…

Star Trek Captain Kirk

Jesus Christ vs. Captain Kirk: A Study of Mental Models (or “A Modern Example of Binary Beliefs and Cognitive Dissonance In Everyday Western Culture”)

The odds are good you won’t read this entire post.  The reason?  It has to do with confirmation bias.  If you think what I am going to say conflicts with your belief system – whether you are a scientist or a Christian – you won’t finish it to avoid cognitive dissonance even though you aren’t…