Abstract for: Criterial Approach to Verification at Cognitive Mapping of Ill-Structured Situation Dynamics

Increasingly popular cognitive mapping of complex and ill-structured situations dynamics carries risks for validity of end results both because of cognitive complexity of situations and features of modern cognitive map languages. To cope with typical human-induced formalization risks, verification of cognitive maps is proposed, based on the open system of more or less local expert criteria of absence of risks and direct errors in the map. Comparison of processes of model construction in system dynamics and cognitive mapping as well as analysis of processes of model understanding and mastering show that human-induced risk problems in system dynamics and cognitive mapping have much in common. Presented types of risks and criteria for their detection during verification of cognitive maps refer to early stages of modeling, when translating primary representations to a formal language has not passed into the phase of quantitative parameters definition, be it objective data or expert estimations. Similarity of early stages of modeling either with signed cognitive maps or causal loop diagrams as the intermediate language gives hope for integration of ideas improving end results validity and cross-fertilization between system dynamics and cognitive mapping, with the first steps seen today.