2.2. Schema Theory

A schema is an organized, general knowledge about situations and individuals that has been abstracted from prior experiences and stored in long-term memory (Mayer, 1983).  Schemas provide a framework that can be used to understand new information and to retrieve that information later.  Based on one’s past experiences, schemas summarize the essential features of common events or situations. They are used as a means of guiding the organization and meaning of new information. The more complete one’s scheme for information, the better the encoding and retrieval of that information will be.

Thus, when to-be-remembered information is consistent with prior, existing information (such as schemas), retrieval will be enhanced. If to-be-remembered material is at odds with any existing schema, then those schemas may actually inhibit retrieval.

The notion of schema can help us to understand how farmers may process new information that is introduced to them. If the new information appears to match their existing schema, then the chances of acceptance would be higher.  If a match can be found, then some part of the information or inferences from the information is likely to be stored in the form of a modified schema. If a match cannot be found, then the information is likely to pass by without being assimilated.