schema theory ROCP

Question 1

what is the schema theory?

Answer 1

mental representations that organize our knowledge, beliefs, and expectations about the world.
1. long-lasting
2. deeply rooted
3. difficult to change
4. derived from previous experiences
5. automatic and non-conscious

Question 2

types of schemas

Answer 2

1. social schemas: about groups of people
2. self-schemas: about ourselves
3. scripts: of the steps to take at a given moment
4. object: of how an object looks like
5. titles: of the content of a piece of media

Question 3

what do schemas do?

Answer 3

1. help us make sense of the complex world of information we live in
2. save our cognitive energy and make processing new information easier
3. lead us to make generalizations about places and people
4. stereotypes: affect our ability to comprehend new stereotypes
5. affect our cognition and behavior

Question 4

STUDY ON SCHEMAS IA

Answer 4

Bransford and Johnson 1972
aim: to see how prior knowledge (schema) can influence comprehension and memory
-vague passage
- three conditions
- comprehension rating and recall tasks
- higher results in group 1
- can improve comprehension and memory
- relate new information to existing one

Question 5

what can schemas lead to?

Answer 5

distorted memories: information consistent with our schemas will be remembered, info that does not will be forgotten or changed

when something is forgotten you will fill in that information with consistent information on your schema

Question 6

what is confirmation bias?

Answer 6

the tendency to focus on, remember, and believe information consistent with existing beliefs

Question 7

STUDY ON CONFIRMATION BIAS

Answer 7

Stone et al 2010
aim: to see how stereotypes influence the perception of information
- 51 participants
- 20 minute audio + transcript
- white or black
- natural ability, performance, contributions
- black = natural athletic ability
- white = intelligence + effort

Question 8

schema theory strengths

Answer 8

1. useful for understanding how people categorize information and make differences
2. useful for understanding cognitive distortions
3. plenty studies support it

Question 9

schema theory limitations

Answer 9

1. the definition of schemas is too broad, making it hard to measure
   - titles, scripts, stereotypes and so much more