1. a collection of basic knowledge about a concept or entity that serves as a guide to perception, interpretation, imagination, or problem solving. For example, the schema “dorm room” suggests that a bed and a desk are probably part of the scene, that a microwave oven might or might not be, and that expensive Persian rugs probably will not be. Also called cognitive schema. See also frame; perceptual schema.

2. a cognitive structure representing a person’s knowledge about some entity or situation, including its qualities and the relationships between these. Schemas are usually abstractions that simplify a person’s world. In 1932, Frederic C. Bartlett showed that past experiences are stored in memory as schemas; impressions of other people are also thought to be organized in this way.

3. an outlook or assumption that an individual has of the self, others, or the world that endures despite objective reality. For example, “I am a damaged person” and “Anyone I trust will eventually hurt me” are negative schemas that may result from negative experiences in early childhood. A goal of treatment, particularly stressed in cognitive therapy, is to help the client to develop more realistic, present-oriented schemas to replace those developed during childhood or through traumatic experiences. See also self-image; self-schema. —schematic adj.