What is a Schema:
- A cognitive framework that helps organise and interpret information in the worls around us.
- Based on our beliefs, expectations and experiences.
- Develop with age and become more sophisticated as your experience develops.
- Helps us understand how the world works (mental representations of how the world works).
- Often very stereotypical when first created and then evolve and change over time.
What does a Schema do:
- They act to interpret information received by the cognitive system.
- EG: A schema for a car would be: A vehicle made of metal with four wheels, driven by a person and powered by an engine.
- This package of information helps you and allows you to respond to the object appropriately.
- EG: You might get into the car to travel somewhere, or you might move out of the way if it's coming quickly towards you.
Why do we use Schemas:
- They allow us to process vast amounts of information quickly and efficiently, so as not to be overwhelmed by environmental stimuli.
- They also allow us to take cognitve 'short-cuts' by enabling us to predict what might happen, based on a past experience, and to 'fill in the gaps' if we have incomplete information about a person, situation or event.
- They can tend to function as stereotypes or 'typical' representations of people/situations. This can lead us to make incorrect assumptions when we apply them to specific instances.