A schema representation is a way of capturing the insight that concepts are defined by a configuration of features, and each of these features involves specifying a value the object has on some attribute. The schema represents a concept by pairing a class of attribute with a particular value, and stringing all the attributes together. They are a way of encoding regularities in categories, whether these regularities are propositional or perceptual. They are also general, rather than specific, so that they can be used in many situations.
Anderson, J. R. (1990). Cognitive Psychology and its Implications. New York, NY: Freeman.
Contributed by J. Sandwell, November 17, 1995.