Which term describes modifying a schema to fit new information?

Which term describes modifying a schema to fit new information?

• A. Assimilation
• B. Accommodation
• C. Zone of Proximal Development
• D. Social Development Theory

Answer: (B)

Modifying a schema to fit new information is called accommodation. In Piaget’s framework, accommodation happens when something doesn’t quite fit what you already know, so you revise your mental framework to incorporate the new data. For example, if a child believes all four-legged animals are dogs and then encounters a cow, they adjust their understanding so that four-legged animals aren’t all dogs. They expand or change their schema to include cows and other four-legged animals. This is different from assimilation, which would be applying the old idea (calling the cow a dog) without changing the underlying schema. The other terms refer to different theories or ideas about learning: the zone of proximal development is about what a learner can do with guidance, and Social Development Theory focuses on learning through social interaction rather than altering individual schemas.

Modifying a schema to fit new information is called accommodation. In Piaget’s framework, accommodation happens when something doesn’t quite fit what you already know, so you revise your mental framework to incorporate the new data. For example, if a child believes all four-legged animals are dogs and then encounters a cow, they adjust their understanding so that four-legged animals aren’t all dogs. They expand or change their schema to include cows and other four-legged animals. This is different from assimilation, which would be applying the old idea (calling the cow a dog) without changing the underlying schema. The other terms refer to different theories or ideas about learning: the zone of proximal development is about what a learner can do with guidance, and Social Development Theory focuses on learning through social interaction rather than altering individual schemas.