A schema is a cognitive framework or concept that helps organize and interpret

information. A schema describes patterns of thinking and behavior that people use to
interpret the world. People use schemas because they allow others to take shortcuts in
interpreting the vast amount of information that is available in their environment.
Schemas are mental models found in long-term memory. The brain utilizes such models
to organize information about the world. Schemas are essentially built from human
memories of their unique experiences. However, these mental frameworks also cause
people to exclude pertinent information to focus instead only on things that confirm the
pre-existing beliefs and ideas. Schemas can contribute to stereotypes and make it difficult
to retain new information that does not conform to the established ideas about the world.
The four main types of schemas are:
- Person schemas are focused on specific individuals. For example, a person’s
schema for his/her friend might include information about her appearance, her
behaviors, her personality, and her preferences.
- Social schemas include general knowledge about how people behave in certain
social situations.
- Self-schemas are focused on the knowledge about oneself . This can include both
what a person knows about the current self as well as ideas about the idealized or
future self.
- Event schemas are focused on patterns of behavior that should be followed for
certain events. This acts much like a script informing the person of what he/she
should do, how he/she should act, and what he/she should say in a particular
situation.
Schemas influence social cognition by acting upon three
basic cognitive processes. They are attention, encoding and retrieval.
- Attention is the cognitive process of focusing on specific information while
ignoring other things. Schemas work as a mechanism that helps individuals to
focus attention on specific aspects of the environment. The stimulus that is
coherent with schemas is more easily noticed than the stimulus that is not fitting
with the schemas one holds, unless the information has high strength of attracting
information
- Encoding is storing the information in memory. Information that is consistent with
schemas is more likely to be saved in the long-term memory than the one that is
less relevant. People easily remember the instances when people have agreed with
others rather than when they have disagreed. In contrast, people also remember
some instances, which do not at all fit in the schemas.
- Retrieval refers to the processes of recalling the information stored in memory
and using it. The relationship between schemas and retrieval is a complex issue.
Some researchers have shown that information that is consistent with schemas is
better retrieved. Others have shown that the information inconsistent with the
schemas are more easily stored and retrieved.