Disclosure: ChatGPT3 was used in the creation of this resource.

Summary:

A schema is a knowledge structure the brain makes when organizing information from experiences. Schemata (plural of schema) allow the brain to work more efficiently. A schema can be discrete and specific or sequential and elaborate. One schema may be as specific as recognizing a dog, or as elaborate as categorizing different types of dogs. The processes through which schemas are adjusted or changed are known as assimilation and accommodation. An example of assimilation and accommodation may be when a child encounters a horse. They might assimilate this information and immediately call the animal a dog, since the child knows a dog has four legs. Accommodating the horse is when the child adapts the existing schema to incorporate the knowledge that some four-legged animals are horses.

Multiple types of schema are created for different experiences. Event schema, self-schema, object schema, and role schema.

Event schema describes behavioral and event sequences and daily activities. They are automatic and can be difficult to change. An event schema in the life of a young adult may be going to a college class. Leaving at the same time every day, walking the same route to the building, waiting for the previous students to leave, and sitting in the same seat. If someone sits in the seat that the student usually occupies, they may feel stressed or uncomfortable because they are forced to change their schema (at least for that day).

Self-schema is used to describe the knowledge that people accumulate about themselves by interacting with the natural world and with other human beings. These can be described by how we see ourselves, using adjectives like quiet, thoughtful, or joking. When a person is in a social situation, they may call on one of these schemata. One example may be at a party, a person is more 'joking' because they know that it has given them positive results before.

Object schema interprets inanimate objects. The everyday items used in a person's life have schemata attached to them. The way a pencil is held in hand, or how to type on a keyboard are object schemas. Object schemata are created and used when a new item is introduced. For example, learning to use chopsticks. One chopstick is held like a pencil, building off of an already-known schema. The other chopstick is pinched between two fingers, and the chopsticks are widened or narrowed to hold food.

Role schema invokes knowledge about how people are supposed to behave, based on their roles, in particular social situations. In the life of a child, a role schema may be at church, they are the listener. The role of the listener is to be quiet, look at the speaker, and sit still. This role schema can be used in multiple situations. A child may be a listener in the classroom during the explicit instruction part of the day.

Quiz Questions:

1. According to the theory of schema, the process of assimilation refers to:

1. Incorporating new information into existing schemas
2. Modifying existing schemas to fit new information
3. Discarding existing schemas in favor of new information
4. None of the above

2. Schemas in cognitive psychology are: (select all that apply)

1. Mental structures that represent an organized pattern of thought or behavior
2. A set of learned behaviors
3. A cognitive structure that organizes and interprets information
4. A way to simplify and organize information

3. Which of the following best describes a self-schema?

1. One’s understanding of how to open a car door
2. At a polite dinner party, someone who is a guest may be expected not to put their elbows on the table and to not talk over others.
3. It is common for people to greet one another with a handshake in the United States but in Belize, you bump fists
4. I’m assertive; I’m quiet; I’m compassionate; I’m tall

Resources:

Nickerson, C. (2023, May 12). Schema In Psychology: Definition, Theory, & Examples. Simply Psychology. Retrieved June 26, 2023, from https://www.simplypsychology.org/what-is-a-schema.html#:~:text=Object%20schema%20 helps%20to%20interpret,how%20to%20use%20a%20pen. 

Read More:

• https://www.simplypsychology.org/what-is-a-schema.html#:~:text=A%20schema%20is%20a%20knowledge,the%20forefront%20in%20cognitive%20science
  
• https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-a-schema-2795873#toc-types-of-schemas