examples of archetypes and schemas

Examples of Archetypes and Schemas in Psychology

Archetypes

Archetypes are universal, innate symbolic patterns or images found in myths, stories, and the collective unconscious, as described by Carl Jung. They represent fundamental human motifs and roles that recur across cultures and history¹².

Common Examples:

• The Mother / Caregiver: Embodies nurturing, compassion, and protection. Seen in figures like Mary Poppins or a biological mother¹².
• The Child / Innocent: Represents innocence, optimism, and new beginnings. Examples include characters like Forrest Gump or Buddy from Elf¹².
• The Wise Old Man / Sage: Symbolizes wisdom, knowledge, and guidance. Seen in Yoda (Star Wars) or Morpheus (The Matrix)¹².
• The Shadow: The darker, repressed aspects of the psyche, often appearing as monsters or antagonists in stories (e.g., Gollum in The Lord of the Rings)¹².
• The Trickster / Jester: Brings chaos, humor, or transformation, often by breaking rules or expectations (e.g., Dumbledore in Harry Potter)².
• The Explorer: Driven by curiosity and the desire for adventure (e.g., Indiana Jones)².
• The Everyman: The relatable, ordinary person seeking belonging (e.g., Jim Halpert in The Office)².
• The Ruler: Associated with leadership, control, and responsibility (e.g., Mufasa in The Lion King)².
• The Artist: Creative, imaginative, and expressive (e.g., Frida Kahlo)².

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Schemas

Schemas are learned cognitive frameworks or mental structures that help people organize, interpret, and predict information and experiences³⁴. They are shaped by personal experience and culture.

Common Examples:

• Social Schema: Guides behavior in social situations (e.g., knowing not to laugh at a funeral)³⁴.
• Person Schema: Expectations about specific people, including their appearance, behavior, and preferences (e.g., your schema for a friend includes their habits and personality)³⁴.
• Self-Schema: Beliefs and ideas about oneself (e.g., expecting to feel nervous in job interviews because of past experiences)³⁴.
• Event Schema (Script): Expected sequence of actions in a specific context (e.g., at a restaurant: being seated, ordering, eating, paying)³⁴.
• Object Schema: Understanding how to use or interact with objects based on prior experience (e.g., knowing how to use a Mac because you’ve used a Windows PC)³⁴.
• Role Schema: Expectations about how people in certain roles should behave (e.g., how a teacher or doctor should act)⁴.

Specific emotional and behavioral schemas (from schema therapy) include:

• Abandonment Schema: Fear of losing close relationships⁵.
• Mistrust/Abuse Schema: Expectation that others will hurt or abuse you⁵.
• Defectiveness Schema: Chronic feelings of unworthiness or shame⁵.
• Failure Schema: Expectation of failing or being inadequate⁵.
• Approval Seeking Schema: Compulsion to gain others’ approval⁵.

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Summary Table

Concept	Examples
Archetypes	Mother, Child, Wise Old Man, Shadow, Trickster, Explorer, Everyman, Ruler, Artist
Schemas	Social schema, Person schema, Self-schema, Event schema, Object schema, Role schema,
	Abandonment schema, Mistrust schema, Defectiveness schema, Failure schema, Approval seeking

These examples illustrate how archetypes are deep, universal patterns, while schemas are practical, learned frameworks for navigating life.

Sources

Footnotes

1. Jungian archetypes - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jungian_archetypes ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

2. 15 Jungian Archetypes: Examples and Overview - Helpful Professor https://helpfulprofessor.com/jungian-archetypes-examples/ ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰

3. What Is a Schema in Psychology? - Verywell Mind https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-a-schema-2795873 ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶

4. Schema in Psychology | Definition, History & Examples - Lesson https://study.com/academy/lesson/schemas-in-psychology-definition-types-examples.html ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷

5. 18 Schemas - Self-Talk Therapy https://www.self-talk-therapy.com/18-schemas ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵