Schemas

A schema is a mental framework that helps us understand the world. It is built from our past experiences and knowledge. Think of it like a folder in your mind.

For example, you have a “restaurant schema.” When you enter a restaurant, you expect a table, menu, waiter, food, bill, and payment. You do not need to learn these steps every time. Your existing schema helps you understand the situation quickly.

The concept is strongly connected with Frederic Bartlett and Jean Piaget. Bartlett studied memory and argued that we do not simply replay memories; we reconstruct them using our existing schemas. In his famous War of the Ghosts study, people changed parts of an unfamiliar story when recalling it, making it fit their existing understanding. �

Piaget used schemas to explain how children learn. New experiences can be added to an existing schema (assimilation) or the schema can change when the new experience does not fit (accommodation).