A user's mental model is what a user thinks a particular object can do for them; nothing more, nothing less. For instance, many people often simply use a broom for simply just a broom. However the personality of a broom is far broader than just sweeping the floor. A broom can be used as a means of floor hockey or whiffle ball. A broom can be used to reach a high object or sweep up a mess. A broom doesn't have to just be a broom.
A user's mental model can be specific to just one user. Multiple users will very rarely have the same mental model of what something can be used for, especially in programming. That being said there is bound to be conflict between the mental model of a user and that of a programmer. Often times programmers design with the needs of a user in mind, but the needs of one user are not necessarily the needs of even one other user.
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