Schema representations in distinct brain networks support narrative memory during encoding and retrieval

Schematic prior knowledge can scaffold the construction of event memories during perception and also provide structured cues to guide memory search during retrieval. We measured the activation of story-specific and schematic representations using fMRI while participants were presented with 16 stories and then recalled each of the narratives, and related these activations to memory for specific story details. We predicted that schema representations in mPFC would be correlated with successful recall of story details. In keeping with this prediction, an anterior mPFC region showed a significant correlation between activation of schema representations at encoding and subsequent behavioral recall performance; however, this mPFC region was not implicated in schema representation during retrieval. More generally, our analyses revealed largely distinct brain networks at encoding and retrieval in which schema activation was related to successful recall. These results provide new insight into when and where event knowledge can support narrative memory.

The Cognitive Association Between Effortful Self-Control and Decreased Vitality

According to the schema model of self-control, individuals’ self-control efforts activate the fatigue/decreased vitality schema. A precondition for this schema activation is that the cognitive concepts of self-control effort and decreased vitality are associated in individuals’ minds. In the present two studies, the existence of such a cognitive association was tested. In Study 1, 133 school students from Switzerland read two similar stories in a random order. In one story, a fictitious individual engaged in effortful self-control, while in the other story, he/she did not. In Study 2, 251 online workers from the United States, per random assignment, received either a story describing an individual exerting self-control or a similar story describing an individual not exerting self-control. In both studies, the participants rated how vital the fictitious individuals felt at the time the story ended. As expected, in both studies, the fictitious individual exerting self-control was rated as feeling less vital compared to the one not exerting self-control. This finding is in line with the schema model of self-control, as it indicates that the concepts of self-control exertion and decreased vitality are related to each other in a cognitive associative structure. Additional results suggest that emotional valence and calmness are irrelevant in this association. Moreover, the self-control exertion-decreased vitality association was independent from the raters’ own momentary feelings of self-control exertion, effort, and exhaustion.

Saudi Students’ Perceptions of Schemata and Poetry Comprehension

In teaching poetry, one of the first problems to be addressed is the lack of appropriate schemata when studying English and American poetic texts. The current study inquires about the students’ perception regarding how Saudi students perceive the relationship between the lack of appropriate schemata and the comprehension of English and American poetry to explain how they read and interpret poems in English and how they respond to the culturally loaded texts by writers with different cultural schemata to provide a greater understanding of the challenges they face in the poetry classroom. The study also examines students’ openness to schema activation techniques within the poetry classroom. A qualitative and quantitative research study has been conducted in three undergraduate classrooms at King Saud University. The research included open questions and questionnaire data obtained over a one year period (2018-2019) from 51 students. The results show that Saudi students’ are very much aware of the problematic issues in their reading and believe social and cultural ideologies have a significant influence on comprehension based on their individual experience. Only a third of the respondents do not find social and cultural ideologies and references to be problematic. Furthermore, 49% of the respondents feel that having a different background affects their ability to identify with the poems. The study also showed that students are open to incorporating schema activating techniques to improve their comprehension of English and American poetry.

Schema activation strategy in reading comprehension to improve student’s interest

This research is aimed to improve the reading comprehension through schema activation strategy. Classroom Action Research (CAR) was conducted in two cycles and each cycle consisted of four phases. They were planning, acting, observing, and reflecting. The subjects of the study were 34 students of Class VIII A of SMP Muhammadiyah 1 Godean. There were two forms of data in this study. The qualitative data were collected through observation and interview. The data were presented in the form of field notes and interview transcripts. Then, the quantitative data were collected through Pre-test, Posttest I, and Posttest II. In reference to the application of the two cycles, the results of the research revealed that use of schema activation strategy successfully improved the students‘ reading comprehension. The students‘ interest and attention in the process of teaching and learning English, especially reading improved. They were also able to explore many words related to the topic of the lesson. In relation to their comprehension of English texts, the students were able to identify main ideas and supporting details of paragraphs correctly. Strategi skema pada materi reading comprehension untuk meningkatkan ketertarikan siswaPenelitian ini bertujuan untuk meningkatkan pemahaman reading comprehension melalui penggunaan Schema Activation Strategy. Dalam melakukan penelitian ini, Peneliti menggunakan Penelitian Tindakan Kelas (PTK) sebagai metode penelitian. Penelitian dilakukan dalam dua siklus dan masing-masing siklus terdiri dari empat fase. Yaitu fase persiapan, aksi, observasi dan refleksi. Subjek penelitian adalah 34 siswa dari kelas VIII A SMP Muhammadiyah 1 Godean. Ada dua macam data yang dihimpun pada penelitian ini. Data kualitatif dikumpulkan melalui observasi dan wawancara. Kemudian data dipresentasikan dalam bentuk catatan dan transkip wawancara. Sedangkan, data kuantitatif dikumpulkan melalui Pre-Test, Post-test I, dan Post-test II. Hasil yang didapatkan setelah menerapkan dua siklus, yaitu penggunaan Schema Activation Strategy berjalan sukses meningkatkan pemahaman siswa pada bab Reading. Minat siswa dan perhatian dalam proses pengajaran dan pembelajaran bahasa Inggris, khususnya peningkatan dalam pemahaman Reading. Para siswa mampu mengeksplorasi banyak kata terkait topik pelajaran. Para siswa juga mampu memahami teks Bahasa Inggris, siswa juga mampu untuk mengindentifikasi ide pokok dan juga detail paragaraf secara benar.

A Schema-Activation Approach to Failure and Success in Self-Control

Numerous studies confirm the so-called ego depletion effect (i.e., self-control is impaired after an initial unrelated self-control task). There are also many studies on the moderators of the effect. During recent years, the criticism on this limited-resource approach to willpower has increased, and alternative models have been developed. I argue that the existing models cannot explain the variety of results found in the ego depletion literature (e.g., the vicarious depletion effect). Therefore, I sought a theoretical explanation that incorporates many of the findings, and, thus, I introduce the schema model of self-control. It is characterized by several mediating paths, with each having specific moderators. Referring to related schema conceptions already existing in the literature (i.e., illness schemas and emotion schemas), I posit that the processes that cause ego depletion effects occur around the activation of the fatigue/decreased vitality schema. This schema becomes activated via the registration of behavioral and physiological changes related to exercising self-control. The activation of the fatigue/vitality schema should instigate the motivation to conserve energy and, therefore, cause reduced effort and decreased performance in a subsequent self-control task. The moderators (e.g., energy supply) should influence the (non)activation of the fatigue/vitality schema or its consequences.