Which term describes organized information about the order of actions in a familiar situation?

• A. Script
• B. Schema
• C. Stereotype
• D. Prejudice

Answer: (A)

Scripts are mental representations that encode the expected sequence of actions in familiar situations. They act as a plan for behavior, guiding what you do next and what to anticipate at each step. For example, a dining-out script includes entering, being seated, looking at the menu, ordering, eating, paying, and leaving. This organized information about the order of actions helps us navigate routines smoothly and with less cognitive effort in predictable contexts. Schemas are broader knowledge structures about concepts or events, of which scripts are a specific kind that emphasizes sequence. Stereotypes involve generalized beliefs about groups of people, and prejudice is an attitude toward a group; neither describes the ordered actions in a routine.