Schema Theory

These flashcards cover key concepts related to Schema Theory, including definitions of terms, processes involved in memory, and notable studies.

Schema Theory

A theory about how humans use schemas to process incoming information, relate it to existing knowledge, and utilize it.

Schema

Mental representations derived from prior knowledge and experience that help organize and interpret information.

Assimilation

The process of adding new information to existing schemas without changing them.

Accommodation

The process of altering existing schemas or creating new ones when new information cannot fit into existing schemas.

Schema Consistency Effect

The tendency to remember information that matches existing schemas more easily than incongruent information.

Cognitive Load

The total amount of mental effort being used in working memory.

Scripts

Schemas that dictate the expected sequence of events, such as those experienced during a restaurant visit.

Rationalisation Errors

Distortions that occur when individuals modify information to fit their existing cultural schemas.

Omissions (Leveling)

The process of leaving out details that are not essential to understanding a story or event.

Bartlett's War of the Ghosts Study

A study demonstrating how cultural schemas can distort memory of unfamiliar stories.

Brewer and Treyens Experiment

An experiment that showed how schema influences memory by having participants recall items in an office.

Cultural Schemas

Schemas based on cultural knowledge that shape perceptions and behaviors of individuals from that culture.

Memory Distortion

The phenomenon where memories are recalled inaccurately due to the influence of schemas.

Cognitive Misers

A term used to describe humans' tendency to minimize cognitive effort in processing information.

Empirical Evidence

Information acquired by observation or experimentation supporting the validity of a theory.

Ecological Validity

The extent to which research findings can be generalized to real-world settings.