Jennifer is a toddler and has a pet cat at home. One day, she sees a small dog and says "kitty." Her mother explains that the animal is a "doggie" not a "kitty." What must Jennifer do in order to understand "doggie?"

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In order to understand that the new animal is a "doggie," Jennifer must accommodate the new information by changing or adjusting her existing schema for animals. This means she must modify her previous categorization system for animals to include the new category of "doggie." Eliminating or assimilating the new information would not allow her to fully understand the difference between a "kitty" and a "doggie." Developing a sense of object permanence is unrelated to identifying and categorizing animals.

Jennifer Is a Toddler and Has a Pet Cat at Home