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A considerable amount of research has been

carried out on the nature and structure of

memory, its functions and processes but

recently, psychologists such as Schank

(1975) have started to conduct empirical

studies on the organisation of memory. This

essay will examine one of the more recent

developments in the organisation of memory,

the schema theory.



According to Gross (1999) the organisation of

memory involves two main concepts. These

are the format in which information is

arranged and how this information is

arranged. The earlier theories, such as the

matrix and hierarchical network models by

Collins and Quillians (1969, 1972) concerning

the organisation of memory adopted a logical,

sequential approach to the organisation of

memory. Later on, in the late 1970’s

psychologists such as, Schank, Abelson and

Rumelhart realised that the organisation of

memory is not as logical as the earlier

models proposed. The schema theories

make an attempt at addressing the more

complex aspects of the organisation of

memory.



Semantic memory plays a fundamental role in

the earlier theories but according to Baddley

(1990) it became increasingly obvious during

the 1970’s that the SM must contain structures

considerably larger than the simple concepts

discussed in the network models by Collins

and Loftus. Bartlett (1932) used the term

‘schema’ to refer to this larger unit of semantic

memory. According to Hayes (1999) a

schema is a ‘….form of representation which
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