The primary tool that people use for understanding social situations (and physical stimuli, for that matter) is the schema. A schema is an organized body of stored information that is used to understand events. ????ey tell us how to interpret situations and how to behave in them. Stereotypes are schemas of people of various kinds--police o????cers, homemakers, yuppies. Stereotypes serve to guide interpretation and behavior, but they can o????en be mistaken or misapplied, and they can lead to damaging interactions and unjust behaviors.