Reception of television narration as a socio-cognitive process: A schema-theoretical outline

Abstract This article focuses on the meaning production process as a mental cognitive process, that is, a process in which the viewers or readers in their minds interpret and react to the text. It is claimed that we need to look at the inner mental conceptual world that an individual builds up in the form of cognitive structures based on his or her socio-cultural experiences. Schema theory offers a possibility to understand how social reality is turned into mental models or cognitive schemas. It is proposed that when interpreting television, the viewer uses cognitive schemas from different spheres of life in a flexible and dynamic way. Which schemas will be used depends partly on central conceptions in the viewer's thinking, partly on the text. Results from a qualitative reception study illustrate how the viewers use multiple cognitive schemas when interpreting television, and how the texts influence this process.

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