When you meet your new roommate for the first time, he is wearing glasses, listening to classical music, and reading a copy of The New York Review of Books. You think, "Well, maybe rooming with an intellectual this year will be good for me." You instantly categorized your roommate as an intellectual on the basis of your __________.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Schemas are cognitive structures that help us organize and interpret information. When you categorized your roommate as an intellectual based on his actions and interests, you were using schemas related to what an "intellectual" person might look like or do.

When You Meet Your New Roommate for the First Time