Interpreting Schemas
Developing a great schema, either in humans or machines, improves knowledge development, guiding cognitive processes and behavior in making sound decisions and building a strong understanding capability.
In social science, a schema is a mental structure individuals use to organize knowledge, guiding cognitive processes and behavior. People use schemata to categorize objects and events based on common elements to interpret and predict the world. New information is processed by how it fits into these mental structures or rules. Schemas allow one to perceive the whole picture of an event or object based on partial information structures because each schema has a main category, a slot that connects different semantic networks. Moreover, each schema is developed to simplify drawing conclusions about a represented concept. Certain strategies of simplifying schemata include stereotypes and archetypes that drive the decision-making process. Prior knowledge plays a role in cognitive processing, as pre-existing schemata often need to be activated to relate to new information.
Experts tend to have larger and richer schemata (organized representations of things or events that guide a person’s thoughts and actions) and possess far greater knowledge in specific domains compared to novices. The schemata of experts are also highly interconnected, meaning that retrieving one piece of information easily leads to the retrieval of another piece.
How do we develop our own schemas? Schemas develop through continuous interaction with the environment, involving assimilation and accommodation.
Active Construction: Learners actively build and revise schemata when repeatedly exposed to new information. Each schema is unique, depending on individual experiences and cognitive processes.
Assimilation: New events or objects relate to existing cognitive structures. So the memory can create a connection between related events or objects.
Accommodation: When new information does not fit existing concepts, schemata modify to match the new information.
Equilibration: Cognitive development relies on equilibration, where individuals seek balance between their mental frameworks and the environment. Disequilibrium, caused by a mismatch between existing knowledge and new information, motivates individuals to adapt through assimilation or accommodation.
Schemata represent how characteristics of certain events or objects are recalled, as determined by one’s self-knowledge and cultural-political background. Examples include rubrics, perceived social roles, stereotypes, and worldviews. Children also develop schemas through imitation, selectively duplicating the behaviors of others, especially when uncertain or seeking approval. Developing a great schema, either in humans or machines, improves knowledge development, pays more attention to personal bias, guides cognitive processes and behavior in making sound decisions, and builds a strong understanding capability.
