Types of Schemas

Schema

A mental framework or organized collection of knowledge about a specific object, situation, or person

Cognitive schema

Mental framework or structure that helps individuals organize and interpret information about the world

Social schema

A cognitive structure that helps individuals understand and navigate social situations

Self-schema

A cognitive structure, or mental representation, that an individual uses to understand and organize their self-knowledge and beliefs

Scripts

Cognitive structures that organize knowledge and memory by outlining expected sequences of events in specific situations

Bottom-up processing

A perceptual process where incoming sensory data dictates the higher-level processes involved in recognizing and interpreting stimuli

Top-down processing

How the brain interprets new sensory information by applying existing knowledge, expectations, and prior experiences