Final answer:
Schemas are mental constructs that help us understand the world and include concepts we develop from childhood into adulthood. We integrate new information into these schemas through processes of assimilation and accommodation, explained by developmental psychologist Jean Piaget.
Step-by-step explanation:
Schemas are our mental models about how we think the world works and what properties things have. These mental constructs are developed over time as we experience and learn from the world around us. Jean Piaget, a renowned developmental psychologist, stated that children develop schemata to categorize and interpret information. By adulthood, we have created schemata for nearly everything we encounter.
When we take in new information or experiences, we do this through two processes: assimilation and accommodation. Assimilation involves integrating new information that is similar to what we already know into our existing schemas. Accommodation, on the other hand, occurs when we alter our existing schemas in response to new information that is different from our previous knowledge. These processes aid in the efficient organization of information in our brains.