WHAT IS A MODEL?

A model is a representation of a system, made up of components from concepts used to help people know, understand, or simulate a subject that the model represents. A conceptual model is also a collection of concepts. Some models are physical objects; for example, a toy model can be assembled and constructed to function like the object it represents.

The term “conceptual model” can be used to refer to models formed after the process of conceptualization or generalization. Conceptual models typically abstract things in the real world, whether physical or social. Semantic studies are related to the different stages of conceptual formation. Basic semantics is about concepts and the meanings people assign to the various elements of their experiences. The term “conceptual model” is informal. It can mean “a model of a concept” or “a conceptual model.” A distinction can be made between what a model is and what a model is made of.

Except for symbolic models, like a scale model of Winchester Cathedral, most models are conceptual. But they are primarily intended to be models of real-world conditions. The value of a model is often proportional to its correspondence with the state of the past, present, future, reality, or potential. A model of a concept is quite different because to be a good model, it does not need to correspond to this real world. In conceptual models, artificial intelligence and conceptual graphs are used to build expert systems and knowledge-based systems; here, analysts are concerned with representing expert opinions about what is true rather than their own ideas about what is correct.

Classification and Scope of Conceptual Models

Conceptual models (conceptualized models) range from more specific, such as a mental image of a familiar physical object, to the formal and abstract generality of mathematical models that do not appear in the mind as an image. Conceptual models also range in terms of the scope of the objects they are used to represent. For instance, a model may represent a single entity (e.g., the Statue of Liberty), an entire class of objects (e.g., electrons), and even vast realms of objects like the physical universe. The variety and range of conceptual models stem from the diversity of purposes for which people use them. Conceptual modeling is the formal description of some aspects of the social and physical world around us with the goal of understanding and communicating.