Schema (psychology)

In psychology and cognitive science, a schema (pl.: schemata or schemas) describes a pattern of thought or behavior that organizes categories of information and the relationships among them.[1][2] It can also be described as a mental structure of preconceived ideas, a framework representing some aspect of the world, or a system of organizing and perceiving new information,[3] such as a mental schema or conceptual model. Schemata influence attention and the absorption of new knowledge: people are more likely to notice things that fit into their schema, while re-interpreting contradictions to the schema as exceptions or distorting them to fit. Schemata have a tendency to remain unchanged, even in the face of contradictory information.[4] Schemata can help in understanding the world and the rapidly changing environment.[5] People can organize new perceptions into schemata quickly as most situations do not require complex thought when using schema, since automatic thought is all that is required.[5]

People use schemata to organize current knowledge and provide a framework for future understanding. Examples of schemata include mental models, social schemas, stereotypes, social roles, scripts, worldviews, heuristics, and archetypes. In Piaget's theory of development, children construct a series of schemata, based on the interactions they experience, to help them understand the world.[6]

  1. ^ DiMaggio, P (1997). "Culture and cognition". Annual Review of Sociology. 23 (1): 263–287. doi:10.1146/annurev.soc.23.1.263.
  2. ^ Boutyline, Andrei; Soter, Laura K. (2021). "Cultural Schemas: What They Are, How to Find Them, and What to Do Once You've Caught One". American Sociological Review. 86 (4): 728–758. doi:10.1177/00031224211024525. ISSN 0003-1224. S2CID 237155281.
  3. ^ "Glossary". Archived from the original on December 13, 2013. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b Nadkarni, S.; Narayanan, V. K. (2007). "Strategic schemas, strategic flexibility, and firm performance: The moderating role of industry clockspeed". Strategic Management Journal. 28 (3): 243–270. doi:10.1002/smj.576.
  6. ^ Georgeon, O.R.; Ritter, F.E. (2011). "An intrinsically motivated schema mechanism to model and simulate emergent cognition". Cognitive Systems Research. 15–16: 75. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.228.5682. doi:10.1016/j.cogsys.2011.07.003. S2CID 216651586.

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