Iconic models in science and psychology

Scientists use a wide variety of models to formally represent their theories, including computational, quantitative, and mathematical models. A type of model often overlooked in discussions of modeling is an iconic model, which is a visual or physical representation of the structures and processes comprising some natural phenomenon. In the current paper, we present a brief history of iconic models as they have been employed in other sciences such as astronomy, physics, biology, and chemistry. We then present several iconic models that are well known to psychologists and show how they played important roles in theory construction and evaluation. Modern methods of iconic modeling are next presented and demonstrated with several examples. Finally, we close with a discussion of how iconic models can be used in tandem with computational, quantitative, or mathematical modeling procedures in the quest for rigorous theories of the human psyche.