Mary Jackson Pitts, Ph.D.

mpitts@astate.edu

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Schema Theory

•      is a cognitive structure of organized knowledge abstracted from prior experience, used to process new information and retrieving stored information.

•      Schema allow people to incorporate information into what they already know

 Three strains of thought processes dominate 

–  Cognitive Misers

–  Consistency Seekers

–  Naïve Scientist

Schema Theory

•      Limits on information processing

Types of social schema

•      person schemata

•      self schemata

•      Role schemata

•      event schemata.

How are schemata thought to develop? 

•      New ideas  

Models of schema change 

•       bookkeeping model 

•       conversion model 

•       subtyping model 

Complex schemata 

•      Schema grow and develop as new information is added

 External environment 

•       agenda setting

•       The Hastie model 

Schema theory research

•      Experiments

•      Surveys

 






What are the major criticisms of schema theory      
  

Compatibility with other theories

•      Agenda Setting

•      Uses and Gratifications