How do schemas contribute to distortions in eyewitness testimony?

A schema is a mental structure that represents some aspect of the world. People use schemata to organize current knowledge and provide a framework for future understanding. Examples of schemata include rubrics, stereotypes, social roles, scripts, worldviews, and archetypes.

Individuals' existing schemata and stereotypes influence not only how they interpret new information but also how they recall the information over time.