When patients do not possess the same background knowledge, or schemata, as the Western medical practitioner, they are unable to understand fully what is communicated because they do not have the necessary conceptual framework for integrating the information presented. A study demonstrated how the absence of shared concepts between doctor and patient might impede even willing patient compliance with orthodox directives. Matched groups of 15 American and 15 Australian Aboriginal women heard and recalled two stories that incorporated Aboriginal and Western conceptions of illness and health. Results showed that the American subjects, because they were completely unfamiliar with Aboriginal culture, provided strong support for the claim that the presence of schemata is a factor influencing comprehension and recall of a text. Both groups produced culturally motivated elaborations of their native texts. (FL)