Schema

(plural schemata). A schema is a human mental construct or mental model which the human brain understands the world. It may take the form of a string of bits in memory and may be ideas that underlie a field. It may be a large relational repertoire about a given domain of interest, for example, about chess, designing an airplane, or physiology. A given schema may be useful, or even essential, in a given domain, but distortion may occur when it is carried over other domains. Schemata are often transmitted via culture (Kline, 1995: 713-318). Also see mental model.