30 Days to a More Powerful Memory

Chapter 11. Using Schemas and Scripts to Help You Remember

Another way to improve your memory is to incorporate what you learn or experience into a schema or script, though you have to be careful not to let these lead you into making faulty assumptions or stereotypes, which influence what you remember.

What Are Schemas and Scripts?

Essentially, a schema is your generalized knowledge about a situation or event, which leads you to expect things to be a certain way.^[1] Additionally, you are likely to notice and remember things that fit your schema, and the reverse, to notice and remember things that are so unusual that they stand out.

For example, when you go to the grocery store, you have a schema for what the interior of the store looks like and what ...