Cognitive Level of Analysis
Lesson objective: To evaluate schema
theory with reference to two studies
Schemas
A schema is:
– A cognitive schema are
networks of
knowledge, beliefs, and
expectations about
particular aspects of
the world
Schemas
• A schema is a mental framework or body of
knowledge that organises and synthesises
information about something
• We have schemas for:
–
–
–
–
specific people (e.g. one‘s best friend)
groups of people (e.g. traffic wardens)
events (e.g. how to order in a restaurant)
roles (e.g. how a pilot should behave in a cockpit), places
and objects
• Schemas aid us in interpreting the world
Brewer and Treyens (1981)
• Brewer and Treyens did research into schema
theory and we will be recreating their
experiment now
• You will be seeing a picture of an office for 35
seconds
• When you see the word NOW try to recall as
many things as possible from the picture by
writing them down
NOW
Answers
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Chairs
Poster
Notice board
Typewriter
Fan
Basket
Bottle
Skull
Globe
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Umbrella
Boxes
Table
Stacks of Paper
Kettle
Stone
Screwdriver / Tools
Brewer and Treyens Findings
• Brewer & Treyens found that participants recalled
the office things best
• They also found that participants included things
that you would expect to find in an office but weren’t
in this particular picture
• Did you find this?
• Participants didn’t recall things that you wouldn’t
expect to find in an office such as the screwdriver
and stone
• However, they did recall the skull. Brewer and
Treyens suggested that this was because it’s weird.