ABSTRACT
The schema construct has received considerable attention in the mass communication literature during the last decade because it has helped to explain the cognitive processes associated with information processing. However, the fuzziness of the concept and difficulties associated with schema measurement may have prevented it from blossoming into a more widely used theoretical construct. This chapter endeavors to explicate the schema construct as it applies to mass communication research. It concludes with recent examples of schema measurement strategies that have been employed by social psychologists and communication researchers.
