Schemas
What Schemas means in Psychology GCSE, as defined for AQA, Pearson Edexcel.
Definitions of Schemas
Exam boards and our study guides word this term in slightly different ways. Learn the version your board uses.
Check what you remember
Read the wording for your board, then hide it and explain Schemas in your own words. Rough notes are fine. This is a self-check, with no mark or grade.
Reference: Pearson Edexcel
Mental structures that organise past experiences and provide a framework for understanding future experiences.
Cultural expectations that influence memory, as participants altered the story to fit their own culture.
Mental frameworks built from past experience that guide interpretation and recall.
Prior knowledge and cultural expectations that shape how material is recalled.
Mental frameworks formed through personal experiences and culture.
Topics that use Schemas
- Memory (AQA GCSE)
- Development (Pearson Edexcel GCSE)
- Memory (Pearson Edexcel GCSE)
- Topic 2: Memory - 2.2 Studies (Pearson Edexcel GCSE)
Related terms
Using Schemas in the exam
Check the command word and mark scheme for your exact question. After comparing your explanation with the reference, use the term in an answer on the linked topic. This practice does not predict an exam mark.
Practise Psychology questions
Create a free account to answer exam-style questions on this topic and get feedback on your answers.
A week of Premium from your first lesson · Then the free plan continues · No card, no charge