Schema theory

Question 1

What is a schema?

Answer 1

Schemas are cognitive structures that organize knowledge stored in memory and mental representations of categories based on past experiences

Question 2

How is knowledge stored in memory according to schema theory?

Answer 2

Stored as a set of schemas or knowledge structures. Represent general knowledge about the world, people, actions, and events acquired from experience.

Question 3

What are the three main types of schemas?

Answer 3

Scripts – schemas about event sequences (e.g., going to a restaurant).

Self-schemas – information we have about ourselves (e.g., strengths/weaknesses).

Social schemas – information about groups (e.g., stereotypes about nationalities or professions).

Question 4

What is schema theory?

Answer 4

Schema theory is a cognitive theory of information processing and organisation.
It suggests that humans actively integrate new information with existing stored schemas in memory

Question 5

How does schema theory explain the effect of prior knowledge?

Answer 5

Schemas affect how we interpret new information, how we behave in specific settings, and how we store/retrieve information from memory.

Question 6

Why is schema theory useful in psychology?

Answer 6

Schema theory provides a framework to explain how knowledge is organised and retrieved in memory.