Section 2.4 Cognitive development theories

2.1. Schema

Schema is a building block of knowledge. For Piaget a schema (or the plural schemata) is referred to the cognitive structures by which an individual organizes his or her experience and environment (Rabindran & Madanagopal, 2020). For example, an infant upon encountering a dog for the first time will experience visually, auditory and olfactory input. These data, according to Piaget, will be linked in neural pathway, a schema that will eventually be used as a mental template to represent dog each time these stimuli are encountered.