Evaluate schema theory with reference to research studies
DEFINITION OF SCHEMA: Etiologically, it comes from the Greek word skhema which means shape or plan. A schema can be defined as a conceptual map that enables people to understand how knowledge works and is stored in memory. It can be defined as a mental representation of knowledge (Crane and Hannibal 70). Schemata are defined as units of knowledge. Schemata represent our experiences. When we read our interpretation of what we are reading is influenced by our schemata.
SCHEMA THEORY: This theory was created by Robert C. Anderson, an educational psychologist. This theory is a cognitive theory about the information that we process. A cognitive schema talks about the networks of knowledge, the beliefs and expectations that someone has about a certain task, situation, place or activity. Schemata are invisible to anyone since they are cognitive, but psychologists use conceptual maps to visualize how they work in our brains and how knowledge is stored and organized in our memory. For example this is a schema of a party:
*Some types of schemas are
Social schemas are about general social knowledge.
Person schemas are the ones that refer to indivuals.
Idealized person schemas are called prototypes. The word is also used for any generalized schema.
Self-schemas are about oneself. We also hold idealized or projected selves, or possible selves.
Role schemas are about proper behaviors in given situations.
Event schemas (or scripts) are about what happens in specific situations.
(PICTURE)
Because we are we are active processors of information we integrate that information and we try to make sense of it. When we fight, there is a blank in our conception of things we remember, we fill it with schemata that we already have or we invent something that seems to be right according to what we've seen before and that makes sense to us. So, because we do this, we can create distortions to the real event or image. (Crane and Hannibal 70)
SCHEMA THEORY AND MEMORY PROCESS This theory has become a method by which psychologists describe or explain the memory processes. They divide this into: 1) SStage 1=encoding: which is “transforming sensory information into a meaningful memory” (Crane and Hannibal 71) 2) SStage 2=storage: which means to store some information or “create a biological trace of it” (Crane and Hannibal 71) 3) SStage 3=retrieval: this is the stage in which you use the information you stored in your mind when you recall memories.
EVALUATION OF SCHEMA THEORY: Strengths -Helps us understand the way in which people interpret stories, classify information and their ability to make inferences. -The theory has helped for us to understand about memory alterations or distortions. Limitations -The origin of schemata is not clear and their influence on the cognitive processes. (Crane and Hannibal 72)
EXPERIMENT Anderson & Pichert (1978) Aim: The purpose of this research was to see if schema processing has any influence in the encoding and retrieval processes. Procedure: The first step in this research was to give participants one schema at the encoding stage, and a different one at the retrieval stage. This was going to help researches to see if the last schema had any influence in the recall stage. Participants heard a story about two boys who decided to go to a house, instead of school. When hearing the story, many details were given out, like the neighborhood and the various objects that were inside the house. When applying the schemas, the half of the participants had the duty of hearing the story from the perspective of a house buyer, so they had to put attention to the physical spaces, and conditions of the house. The other half had to hear it from the perspective of a thief, so they had to put attention to the furniture, collections, and the fact that there was no one home. After hearing the story, both groups did a distracting activity for about 12 minutes, and after that activity, they had to remember the details from the story. After recording these results, half of the subjects were given another schema, in other words, those who were at first thieves, now had to hear the story from a buyer perspective. The other half of the subjects had to maintain the original schema. And after both groups heard the story again they had to remember the details. Findings: After analyzing the results, before and after the schema was changed, investigators found that the group that changed their schema was able to remember 7% more details on the second time, compared to first time. Also, the group that didn’t changed their schema remembered fewer ideas the second time. These results show that schema processing had an influence on the retrieval and encoding stages. Investigators said that maybe the second schema could had influenced the remembering at the retrieval stage. Another finding was that the subjects encoded information irrelevant to their first perspective. For example those who had the thief perspective at encoding, later were able to remember the buyer information, since it had nothing to do with their first schema. (Crane and Hannibal 72) FAMOUS SCHEMAS Bibliography: -Crane, John, And, Jette Hannibal. Psychology: course companion.Oxford: Oxford UP, 2009. Print -Andrade, D. "Schema Theory." Thesis. Analytic Technologies. Web. 21 Sept. 2010. <http://www.analytictech.com/mb870/schema.htm>. -Approaches to Psychology -Psychology Bibliography from links"Schema Theory and the Interpretation of TV." Prifysgol Aberystwyth / Aberystwyth University. Web. 24 Sept. 2010. <http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Modules/TF33120/schematv.html>.
SCHEMA FUN!
Learning Outcome:
Evaluate schema theory with reference to research studies
DEFINITION OF SCHEMA:Etiologically, it comes from the Greek word skhema which means shape or plan. A schema can be defined as a conceptual map that enables people to understand how knowledge works and is stored in memory. It can be defined as a mental representation of knowledge (Crane and Hannibal 70). Schemata are defined as units of knowledge. Schemata represent our experiences. When we read our interpretation of what we are reading is influenced by our schemata.
SCHEMA THEORY:
This theory was created by Robert C. Anderson, an educational psychologist. This theory is a cognitive theory about the information that we process. A cognitive schema talks about the networks of knowledge, the beliefs and expectations that someone has about a certain task, situation, place or activity. Schemata are invisible to anyone since they are cognitive, but psychologists use conceptual maps to visualize how they work in our brains and how knowledge is stored and organized in our memory. For example this is a schema of a party:
*Some types of schemas are
(PICTURE)
Because we are we are active processors of information we integrate that information and we try to make sense of it. When we fight, there is a blank in our conception of things we remember, we fill it with schemata that we already have or we invent something that seems to be right according to what we've seen before and that makes sense to us. So, because we do this, we can create distortions to the real event or image.
(Crane and Hannibal 70)
SCHEMA THEORY AND MEMORY PROCESS
This theory has become a method by which psychologists describe or explain the memory processes. They divide this into:
1) SStage 1=encoding: which is “transforming sensory information into a meaningful memory” (Crane and Hannibal 71)
2) SStage 2=storage: which means to store some information or “create a biological trace of it” (Crane and Hannibal 71)
3) SStage 3=retrieval: this is the stage in which you use the information you stored in your mind when you recall memories.
EVALUATION OF SCHEMA THEORY:
Strengths
-Helps us understand the way in which people interpret stories, classify information and their ability to make inferences.
-The theory has helped for us to understand about memory alterations or distortions.
Limitations
-The origin of schemata is not clear and their influence on the cognitive processes.
(Crane and Hannibal 72)
EXPERIMENT
Anderson & Pichert (1978)
Aim: The purpose of this research was to see if schema processing has any influence in the encoding and retrieval processes.
Procedure: The first step in this research was to give participants one schema at the encoding stage, and a different one at the retrieval stage. This was going to help researches to see if the last schema had any influence in the recall stage.
Participants heard a story about two boys who decided to go to a house, instead of school. When hearing the story, many details were given out, like the neighborhood and the various objects that were inside the house.
When applying the schemas, the half of the participants had the duty of hearing the story from the perspective of a house buyer, so they had to put attention to the physical spaces, and conditions of the house. The other half had to hear it from the perspective of a thief, so they had to put attention to the furniture, collections, and the fact that there was no one home.
After hearing the story, both groups did a distracting activity for about 12 minutes, and after that activity, they had to remember the details from the story. After recording these results, half of the subjects were given another schema, in other words, those who were at first thieves, now had to hear the story from a buyer perspective. The other half of the subjects had to maintain the original schema. And after both groups heard the story again they had to remember the details.
Findings: After analyzing the results, before and after the schema was changed, investigators found that the group that changed their schema was able to remember 7% more details on the second time, compared to first time. Also, the group that didn’t changed their schema remembered fewer ideas the second time.
These results show that schema processing had an influence on the retrieval and encoding stages. Investigators said that maybe the second schema could had influenced the remembering at the retrieval stage.
Another finding was that the subjects encoded information irrelevant to their first perspective. For example those who had the thief perspective at encoding, later were able to remember the buyer information, since it had nothing to do with their first schema.
(Crane and Hannibal 72)
FAMOUS SCHEMAS
Bibliography:
-Crane, John, And, Jette Hannibal. Psychology: course companion.Oxford: Oxford UP, 2009. Print
-Andrade, D. "Schema Theory." Thesis. Analytic Technologies. Web. 21 Sept. 2010. <http://www.analytictech.com/mb870/schema.htm>.
-Approaches to Psychology
-Psychology Bibliography from links"Schema Theory and the Interpretation of TV." Prifysgol Aberystwyth / Aberystwyth University. Web. 24 Sept. 2010. <http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Modules/TF33120/schematv.html>.