Schema Theory Flashcards
What is schema theory ?
A schema is an organised pattern of thought that establishes a mental framework which represents aspects of the world. It’s a simplified representation of interconnected ideas.
What does schema theory argue?
The theory argues people use a set of linked mental representations of the world, built by their past experiences, to understand and respond to new situations more quickly and efficiently.
Why is Bartlett’s study NOT an experiment (or any other clear methodology)?
His study is not an experiment because his methodology did not have a clear IV. He used repeated reproduction and serial reproduction and it was quite unstructured (e.g. he would just ask people each time he saw them on campus)
Where were Bartlett’s participants from?
His participants were British University students at Cambridge
What were the 3 main distortions found in Bartlett’s study?
Assimilation: story changed to fit participants own cultural understanding
Leveling: story is shortened, so details that don’t fit with pre-existing schemas are omitted. Gaps are filled by schemas
Sharpening: process of rationalizing culturally “weird” information and changing the order of the story to grow coherence
What does schema activation mean?
This is when we ‘activate’ or access one memory and it then also activates the other memories that are linked to that same schema. E.g. ‘Fish’ might make us also think of ‘ocean’ ‘diving’ ‘coral’…
How does Loftus activate different schemas in her lab experiment?
Used verbs with different connotations (ex. using the word ‘smashed’) or Retroactive interference (leading questions)
Which verb led to the highest mean estimates? What mph?
“Smashed” had a higher mean speed of 40.8 mph
Which verb led to the lowest mean estimates? What mph?
“Contacted” had the lowest mean speed of 31.8 mph
What % of participants who saw the verb ‘smashed’ later falsely reported seeing broken glass?
16% of participants who were asked the question with “smashed” falsely reported broken glass
