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Every day offers new experiences and sensations that the brain must interpret. We then store this new information in our memory. Usually, you have encountered familiar objects before or can associate objects with other objects. For example, when you go watch a film with friends, you associate it with popcorn, a drink, snacks, and a dark theatre.
This group of information has been organised in your brain and based on the associations, these topics are now associated with each other. We call this a schema, a term first coined by Piaget (although the concept existed before).
Schema theory is part of the cognitive approach. It attempts to explain how information is organised and used to understand other, more recent information. Schema theory assumes schemas influence cognition and behaviour.
A schema is a cognitive framework for how the brain organises and stores information to understand complex information, e.g., how we understand the self, others, concepts, and the world.
Think of a schema as the skeletal frame of a concept that you can build upon as you experience new events.
What are the characteristics of the schema theory? Let's look at some schema theory examples and determine its importance.
Framework skeleton model – a schema, Flaticon
The model of schema theory states all of our knowledge is organised into mental frameworks. Consider this example of schema theory in action.
An example of schema theory: a child first imagines a dog as an animal with four legs, fur, and a tail. However, as the child gets older, they will see different breeds of dogs. This knowledge will be added to their existing schema of dogs and animals. So their schema becomes more knowledgeable and may include a list of dog breeds.
This information is used to learn and interpret new concepts, and it can sometimes be used to make predictions. This process is also used to make decisions, saving cognitive energy by providing a shortcut to faster processing of a lot of information.This ‘shortcut’ is essentially people generalising existing information. If a new concept or experience is similar to an existing schema, they use it to understand and predict the new concept.Schemas also influence behaviour because they:
Stereotypes loosely rely on schemas. Although some stereotypes rely on caricatured versions of the truth, they are often misinformation born of ignorance. Be careful when relying on stereotypical information about other people and cultures.
Schemas are a higher-level cognitive function organising memories stored in long-term memory. They are used as reference templates when encountering new information. We try to understand the new information and compare it to existing schemas to identify similar features.When a similar schema is found, the person uses it as a reference schema to make generalisations about the phenomenon. This idea of a basic framework shows the importance of pre-existing knowledge and schemas in understanding new information. Schemas are reorganised when new information is experienced and understood.
This explains why we get smarter as we get older.
Schemas are thought to influence the retrieval of long-term memory and reconstructive memory.
An example of how schemas can influence reconstructive memories is the case of a group of children who witnessed a fight. The children were then called to the principal’s office to recall the event. However, they all had different accounts of what happened because their schemas influenced how they interpreted the event.For example, one child may have generalised based on previous schemas and concluded that it was self-defence, while another may have viewed it as bullying.
This example suggests that schemas influence stored memories when later retrieved, explaining why memory retrieval is not always accurate.
Different people can generate different schemas of the same event, Flaticon
The characteristics of the schema theory are:
The development of schemas is based on past experiences.
Schemas are dynamic; they are constantly changing/developing based on new information learned.
This process occurs through assimilation.
Assimilation – schemas change based on new information that matches information already known.
Schemas are individualistic and rely on individual experiences;
The individual’s family, peers, society, and culture influence schemas.
When new information is inconsistent with or unfamiliar to previous schemas, schemas are then accommodated to adapt to face the problem.
So when a child sees a cat for the first time, his previous schema that an animal with four legs is a dog is adjusted to include the cat.
Some types of schema theory are:
Self-schema – information learned about oneself from experiences, others, and the world.
Event schema – also known as scripts, i.e., information learned about specific events or situations.
Object schema – learning about inanimate objects. This can be about the characteristics of the object: what it is and how to use it.
Role schemas – learning about expected behaviours according to expected social roles.
Person schemas – information you learn about others.
Self-schema – information learned about oneself from experiences, others, and the world, Flaticon
In psychology, there are several approaches proposed to explain behaviour. Schema theory takes a cognitive approach to explain cognition, thought, and behaviour, which explains the importance of schema theory. Evaluation of schema theory should be considered when understanding and applying this theory to real-world situations.
The strengths of the schema theory are:
The weaknesses of the schema theory are:
Where schemas come from is still questioned.
Is there an evolutionary basis for schemas?
Stereotypes and harmful prejudices:
Schema theory is part of the cognitive approach. It attempts to explain how we organise information and used it to understand other, more recent information. Schema theory assumes schemas influence cognition and behaviour.
Stereotypes are an example of a schema in psychology.
Three examples of schemas in psychology are:
Piaget’s schema theory suggests we are born with some innate schemas that develop as humans get older and experience more events.
Schemas affect perception by influencing what we pay attention to. Information similar to what we already know will be more easily assimilated and generally accepted. Inconsistent information is harder to adapt to, and schemas can be problematic when learning new, confronting information.
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