What Is Schema? Why Is It Important?

A schema is a cognitive structure that serves as a framework for one’s knowledge

about people, places, objects and events. Schemas helps people organize their

knowledge of the world and understand new information. It is a diagrammatic

presentation broadly and a structured framework or plan.

Schema is mental structures that an individual sues to organize knowledge and

guide cognitive processes and behavior. It includes rubrics, perceived social roles,

stereotypes and worldviews.

What are the Types of Schema?

1. Role schema - Role schema is a norms and expected behavior from people with a specific role in society. It includes both achieved roles and ascribed roles. Achieved roles encompass both occupation and professions such as doctor or teacher. Ascribed role includes social categories such as age, gender and race.

2. Object schema - Object schema helps to interpret inanimate objects.

3. Self schema - Self schema is about oneself who is grounded in the present and based n past experiences.

4. Event schema - Event schemas are focused on pattern of behavior that should be followed for certain events.

5. Social schema - Social schema includes general knowledge about how people behave in certain social situations. This can include both what you know about your current self as well as ideas about your idealized or future self.

What is Dysfunctional Schema?

A dysfunctional schema can occur when a number of maladaptive schemas are

activated. The maladaptive coping modes are responsible for reactions or

responses intended to help an individual adjust to unmet emotional needs during

childhood.

What is Maladaptive Schema?

Schemas develop in childhood from the interplay between the child’s innate

temperament and the child’s ongoing damaging experiences with parents, siblings or peers. Because they begin early in life, schemas become familiar and thus comfortable.

A maladaptive schema is a pervasive self-defeating or dysfunctional theme or

pattern of memories, emotions and physical sensations, developed during

childhood or adolescence and elaborated throughout one’s lifetime that often has

the form of a belief about the self or the world.

What is Entitlement Schema?

They feel entitled to get what they want in any situation. They use controlling and

manipulative tactics to get what they want. They see themselves a special and the rules don’t apply to them. They believe they are victims and should not be

accountable for their own actions.

What is Negative Schema?

A person with a negative self schema is likely to interpret information about

themselves in a negative way, which could lead to cognitive biases such as those

outlined above.

Why is Schema Important?

Schemas are linked to the development and strengthening of cognitive structure

where the basic mental processes people use to make sense of information in the

brain. Children are able to act out experiences and take risks, testing out and

talking about what they already know and can do.

Schemas allow learners to reason about unfamiliar learning situations and

interpret these situations in terms of their generalized knowledge. In cognitive

and educational psychology, schema based learning is grounded in capturing and

using expert-generated schemas as frameworks for teaching and learning.

Schemas are mental representations of scenarios that can be helpful in guiding

people through a variety of situations. It is created based in experiences and is

stored in memory for future use. It exists for roles, person, self and events. While

schemas can be helpful, they also influence our behavior.

Written By - Reshma Madhini

Edited By - Vanshu Verma