Schema

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Description | Research | Example | So What? | See also | References 

Description

A schema is a mental structure we use to organize and simplify our knowledge of the world around us. We have schemas about ourselves, other people, mechanical devices, food, and in fact almost everything.

Schemas can be related to one another, sometimes in a hierarchy (so a salesman is a man is a human). 

Schemas affect what we notice, how we interpret things and how we make decisions and act. They act like filters, accentuating and downplaying various elements. We use them to classify things, such as when we ‘pigeon-hole’ people. They also help us forecast, predicting what will happen. We even remember and recall things via schemas, using them to ‘encode’ memories.

Schemas appear very often in the attribution of cause. The multiple necessary cause schema is one where we require at least two causes before a ‘fit’ to the schema is declared.

Schemas are often shared within cultures, allowing short-cut communications. Every word is, in effect, a schema, as when you read it you receive a package of additional inferred information.

We tend to have favorite schema which we use often. When interpreting the world, we will try to use these first, going on to others if they do not sufficiently fit. 

Schemas are also self-sustaining, and will persist even in the face of disconfirming evidence. This is because if something does not match the schema, such as evidence against it, it is ignored. Some schema are easier to change than others, and some people are more open about changing any of their schemas than other people.

Other types of schema include:

• Social schemas are about general social knowledge. 
• Person schemas are about individual people. 
• Idealized person schemas are called prototypes. The word is also used for any generalized schema.
• Self-schemas are about oneself. We also hold idealized or projected selves, or possible selves. 
• Role schemas are about proper behaviors in given situations. 
• Event schemas (or scripts) are about what happens in specific situations.

The plural of Schema is Schemas (USA) or Schemata (UK). Schemas are also known as mental models, concepts, mental representations and knowledge structures (although definitions do vary--for example some define mental models as modeling cause-effect only).

Research

Cohen showed people a videotape of a scene including a librarian drinking. The people recalled (reconstructed) it with the librarian drinking wine, because their schemas for librarians classified them as being more likely to drink wine.

Example

Some people dislike police because they have a schema of police as people who perceive everyone as guilty until proven innocent. Other people feel safe around police as their schemas are more about police as brave protectors. 

So what?

Using it

Find people's schemas around the area of interest, then either create trust by utilizing their schema  or reframe to change their schema.

Defending

Become more self-aware, knowing your own schemas and why there are useful for you. When people try to change them, you can then more rationally understand whether your or their schemas are better.

See also

Attribution Theory, Framing, Stereotypes, Personal Construct Theory

http://www.cba.uri.edu/Scholl/Notes/Cognitive_Schema.htm, http://education.indiana.edu/~p540/webcourse/schema.html

References

Cohen (1981), Kelley (1972), Weiner (1979, 1986), Markus (1977)

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