PassingPsych

Schema is a theory of how humans process incoming information, relate it to existing knowledge and use it. The theory is based on the assumption that humans are active processors of information. People do not passively respond to information. They interpret and integrate it to make sense of their experiences, but they are not always aware of it. When information is missing, the brain fills in the blanks based on existing schema. Schema can influence the processing of other cognitive processes such as thinking, memory and perception. Schema processing is largely automatic processing. This results in a reduced amount of cognitive energy used up but can also create biases in cognitive processing. In this essay, I will give a detailed account of the schema theory and its supporting study of Anderson and Pichert.

Andeson and Pichert’s study aimed to investigate whether schemas can influence memory at both encoding and retrieval. To investigate they used a lab experiment containing 39 Psychology students at the University of Illinois.  Participants were randomly given envelopes containing the text, instructions on whether to read the test from the point of view of a burglar or a house buyer and a distraction task booklet. Participants are given the same text (control variable), containing information about what two boys did at their house whilst truanting school. The text contained 72 different pieces of information relating to the aspect of the house. Participants were each given 2 minutes to read the text. After they completed the distraction task (12-minute vocabulary test). After which participants were given 5-minute to recall (recall 1) as many items from the story as possible. Upon completion participants were given a 5-minute task requiring the students to fold a 2D figure into a 3D figure (2nd distraction task). After participants were again asked to recall as many items from the story as possible, except this time half the participants were instructed to do so from the opposite perspective (2nd recall ). The results showed that after the 1st recall, participants remembered more important items from their given perspectives. In the 2nd recall, participants who switched perspectives recalled an additional 7.1% of the non-important information. In contrast, the compassion group recalled 2.9% less of the essential unimportant information on the second attempt.

Anderson and Pithchert demonstrate the influence schema can have on memory at encoding and retrieval. This can be seen as participants recalled previously unrecalled information following a shift in perspective. This is important because the first recall tested for encoding and showed that their schemas allowed them to remember more from their perspective. Recall 2 shows retrieval and the effect of the scheme on it as participants recalled new information (7.1% more) following a shift in perspective. Therefore schema processing can influence memory at encoding and retrieval.