Mental Models, Perspective Shifts, and the 3S–FORM System

Mental Models, Perspective Shifts, and the 3S–FORM System:

Understanding the Architecture of Sustainable Change

 

Sukjae Lee, Ph.D.
Creator of the Effectiveness Coaching Methodology
December 14, 2025

 

Introduction

It is reasonable to conclude that mental models determine people’s perspectives—but only in a qualified and dynamic sense. A more precise formulation is this:

Mental models generate perspectives, while perspectives express mental models in specific moments and contexts.

 

This article clarifies the relationship between mental models, beliefs, and perspectives, and explains why this distinction is central to the 3S–FORM system within the Effectiveness Coaching Methodology developed by Dr. Lee Sukjae.

 

 

1. Key Definitions

1) Mental Model

A mental model is a relatively stable internal meaning structure that organizes:

• how reality is interpreted
• what is noticed or ignored
• perceived cause–effect relationships
• what feels logical, justified, or legitimate
• what actions seem reasonable or unreasonable

Mental models operate largely at a pre-conscious level and function as interpretive engines that continuously generate meaning.

2) Perspective

A perspective is the situational lens through which a person interprets a specific issue, event, or decision at a given moment. It typically includes:

• viewpoint
• framing
• emphasis
• interpretation
• stance

Perspectives are contextual, momentary, and expressive, not structural.

2. The Structural Relationship

The relationship among these elements follows a clear hierarchy:

 

Mental Model  →  (meaning generation) Beliefs · Assumptions →  (contextual application) Perspective →  (interpretation & judgment) Behavior & Results

 

From this structure, several conclusions follow:

• Mental models shape and constrain which perspectives are available
• Perspectives are surface-level manifestations of deeper meaning structures
• Different people can view the same situation very differently because they operate from different mental models 

3. Why “Mental Models Determine Perspectives” Is Both True and Incomplete

1) True, in a qualified sense

Mental models define the boundaries of:

• what interpretations are possible
• what feels logical or legitimate
• what seems important or irrelevant

In this sense, mental models do determine perspectives.

2) Incomplete, if interpreted rigidly

Mental models do not mechanically produce a single fixed perspective.
Perspectives are also influenced by:

• situational context
• emotional state
• social role
• reflective awareness

Thus, one mental model can generate multiple perspectives, depending on context.

4. A More Accurate Formulation

Instead of saying:

“Mental models determine perspectives”

A more precise statement is:

Mental models structure and generate perspectives, while perspectives instantiate mental models in specific contexts.

Simply put:

Mental models are the source; perspectives are the expression.

 

5. A Practical Example

Underlying mental model
“Mistakes indicate incompetence.”

Resulting perspectives

• In meetings: “I shouldn’t speak unless I’m 100% certain.”
• As a leader: “I must tightly control outcomes.”
• When receiving feedback: “This is a threat.”

The perspectives differ by situation, but all trace back to the same mental model.

6. Why This Distinction Matters in Coaching

Attempts to change perspectives alone usually result in temporary change.
When the mental model changes, perspectives reorganize naturally and sustainably.

This is why, in the Effectiveness Coaching Methodology (Dr. Lee Suk-Jae):

• Perspectives are treated as diagnostic signals
• Mental models are treated as primary leverage points

The coach does not argue with perspectives; the coach decodes them to uncover the meaning structure beneath.

7. Perspective in General Coaching vs. Effectiveness Coaching

1) General Coaching

In most mainstream coaching approaches:

• Perspective is treated as a cognitive viewpoint
• Change is attempted through direct reframing
• Perspective is considered the primary leverage point

Implicit model:

 

Situation → Perspective → Emotion → Behavior

This approach works only when:

• the mental model is already flexible
• the issue is situational rather than structural
• emotional load is low

When it fails, clients often revert to their original perspectives.

2) Effectiveness Coaching (Dr. Lee Suk-Jae)

In Effectiveness Coaching:

• Perspective is not the target of change
• Perspective is a surface indicator of a deeper mental model

Reframed sequence:

 

Mental Model → Perspective → Interpretation → Behavior → Effectiveness

 

The coach asks:

• “What must be true for this perspective to make sense?”
• “What assumptions about self, others, or reality are operating here?”
• “What mental model is generating this view?”

8. Perspective vs. Belief: A Structural Distinction

1) General Coaching

• Beliefs and perspectives are often treated as interchangeable
• Intervention converges on “think differently”

2) Effectiveness Coaching

• Beliefs are articulated components of a mental model
• Perspectives are contextual outputs

Element	Role
Belief	One structural component of a mental model
Perspective	Contextual expression of that structure

9. The 3S: Inner Growth Engine (Client’s Role)

Sustainable change occurs when the client actively engages in three internal processes:

1) Self-Awareness

Objective recognition of emotions, thought patterns, and behavioral responses.
Perspectives are observed, not corrected.

2) Self-Talk

Internal dialogue that surfaces beliefs, assumptions, and interpretive rules sustaining the perspective.
Beliefs are identified, not replaced.

3) Self-Reflection

Evaluation of how perspectives and beliefs influence behavior and results.
Mental model effectiveness is empirically examined.

Together, these processes form the Inner Growth Engine, enabling meaning structures to reorganize organically.

10. FORM: External Facilitation Structure (Coach’s Role)

While 3S operates internally, the coach provides structure through FORM:

• Feedback – Grounds awareness in observable reality
• Opportunity – Opens developmental inquiry rather than forced positivity
• Reframe – Facilitates the expression of internal reorganization
• Move Forward – Supports implementation and consolidation

Importantly, reframing is a result, not a technique.

11. Integrated Summary

3S is the client’s inner growth engine through which perspectives and beliefs are examined and reorganized into new mental models.
FORM is the external structure through which the coach supports that internal process.

 

12. Final Comparison

General coaching focuses on changing perspectives.
3S–FORM focuses on transforming the meaning structures that generate perspectives.

If general coaching turns the steering wheel,
Effectiveness Coaching repairs the engine.

Closing Note

This framework explains why insight alone rarely produces sustainable change—and why mental-model-level transformation is essential for lasting effectiveness.