This article covers information about concept, prototype, and schema. Let’s get started with concepts first.
Concepts and Categories
A concept is a mental representation of a group (for example, dogs or professors) that includes our knowledge of them. The set of examples chosen by a concept is known as a category.
These two terms, however, are frequently used interchangeably to refer to the mental representation as well as the set of examples it selects. Abstract ideas or general notions that occur in the mind, speech, or thought are referred to as concepts. They’re thought to be the fundamental components of ideas and beliefs. They are important in every aspect of cognition.
As a result, several disciplines, including linguistics, psychology, and philosophy, study concepts. These disciplines are interested in the psychological and logical structure of concepts and also how they are merged to form sentences and thoughts.
The study of concepts has become an essential constituent of a new interdisciplinary approach known as cognitive science. Hierarchical organization of concepts is possible, with higher levels being called “superordinate” and lower levels being called “subordinate”.
There is also the “basic” or “middle” level, where people can most easily categorize a concept. A basic-level concept might be “chair,” with its superordinate “furniture” and subordinate “easy chair.” Concepts can be precise or ambiguous.
This simplification allows higher-level thinking when the mind generalizes something like the concept of a tree by drawing similarities between numerous examples. Whether they are things in the real world or other ideas, all of a concept’s actual or potential instances are instantiated (reified).
In the cognitive science disciplines of linguistics, psychology, and philosophy, concepts are studied as components of human cognition, with an ongoing debate over whether all cognition must take place through concepts.
Concepts are sometimes referred to as classes, schema, or categories in mathematics, computer science, databases, and artificial intelligence, where they are used as formal tools or models. The term “concept” is often used informally to refer to any idea.
Prototype
In psychology, the concept of prototype psychology is linked to the concept of schema. The term “prototype” is used in linguistics to describe something unique — a unique version of something that serves as a standard.
In psychology, a prototype is a complete image of something that has all of the expected qualities and characteristics. In cognitive science, prototype theory describes how some members of a category are more central, or perfect, than others.
This means that even if something belongs to a specific category of elements, it can still be perceived as unequal. Many factors influence prototyping, including a person’s language, social background, and cultural background. The same words may be perceived and interpreted differently by different people.
To a city dweller, the word “vehicles” may connote buses and cars, but to a mountain farmer, it may connote carriages and motorcycles. Prototyping assists us in organizing and interpreting the vast amounts of data we receive from the outside world. We can take shortcuts and make quick judgments and decisions thanks to prototypes.
On the other hand, it may sometimes block new information and force us to focus on our pre-existing ideas, reducing our openness and flexibility. Prototypes, unsurprisingly, can contribute to prejudice based on race, ethnicity, or social status.
We organize each category on the basis of a prototype, which is the item that is most typical and representative of the category, according to Eleanor Rosch’s theory (Murphy, 2002; Rosch, 973). You determine whether an item belongs to a category using this prototype approach by comparing it to a prototype.
You include the item in the category if it is similar to the prototype. The prototype method has the advantage of accounting for our ability to form concepts for loosely structured groups.
When the members of a category share no single characteristic, we can create a concept for stimuli that merely share a family resemblance. Another benefit of the prototype method is that it can be used to model social relationships, inanimate objects, and non-social categories.
Schema
A schema is a mental model or concept that aids in the organization and interpretation of information. Schemas are beneficial because they allow us to take shortcuts when interpreting the vast amount of data available in our environment.
These mental frameworks, on the other hand, cause us to ignore relevant information in favor of focusing on things that confirm our pre-existing beliefs and ideas. Stereotypes can be reinforced by schemas, which make it difficult to remember new information that contradicts our preconceived notions about the world. Assimilation and accommodation are the processes by which schemas are adjusted or changed. 
New information is absorbed into pre-existing schemas during assimilation. As a person learns new information and experiences, existing schemas may be altered or new schemas may be formed in the process of accommodation.
Children’s schemas are more malleable, but as they get older, they can become more rigid and difficult to change. Even when confronted with evidence that contradicts their beliefs, people’s schemas often persist. In many cases, people will only begin to gradually change their schemas after being bombarded with evidence pointing to the need to do so.
History of Schema
A British psychologist named Frederic Bartlett used schemas as a basic concept in his learning theory for the first time. Our understanding of the world is formed by a network of abstract mental structures, according to Bartlett’s theory. The term schema was originated by the theorist Jean Piaget, and his work created a fashion for its use.
Children go through a series of stages of intellectual growth, according to his cognitive development theory. A schema, according to Piaget’s theory, is both a type of knowledge and a method for acquiring it.
People, he believed, are constantly adapting to their surroundings as they learn new things and take in new information. New schemas are developed as new experiences and information are presented, and old schemas are changed or modified.
Types of Schemas
While Piaget was interested in the development of children, schemas are something that everyone has and that form and change throughout their lives. Object schemas are a type of schema that focuses on the definition and operation of inanimate objects. Most people in developed countries, for example, have a preconceived notion of what a car is. Subcategories for different types of cars, such as compact cars, sedans, and sports cars, could be included in your overall car schema.
People frequently have the following types of schemas
Person schemas are those that are focused on a single person. For instance, information about your friend’s appearance, behaviors, personality, and preferences might be included in your schema. General knowledge about how people act in different social situations is included in social schemas.
The focus of self-schemas is on your understanding of yourself. This can include both your current self and your idealized or future self. The focus of event schemas is on the behavior patterns that should be followed for specific events. This is similar to a script in that it tells you what to do, how to act, and what to say in a specific situation.
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