Schema Theory: A Framework for Research and Practice in Psychotherapy

Both the nature of human problems and the process of behavioral change are increasingly being viewed from a cognitive-structural perspective. The concept of a cognitive schema seems to be the major theoretical construct used by researchers studying how cognitive structures influence human behavior. Schemas are fundamental cognitive structures, derived from past experience. Schemas operate by selectively organizing the on-going experience of each person into subjectively meaningful patterns. Through the operation of schemas, people are active constructors of their own psychological realities. This article presents an overview of the philosophical, historical, and theoretical foundations of schema theory. The relevance of schema theory for psychotherapy is presented through a discussion of schema oriented cognitive-behavioral theorists. A specific application of a schema framework in psychotherapy is illustrated by research on depressive self-schemas. It is hoped this article will serve as a stimulus to the continued application of schema oriented cognitive-structural approaches to research and practice in psychotherapy.