A young girl driving past a farm sees a cow and says, "doggie!" Her older brother, who used to do the same thing when he was her age, informs her that this isn't a dog but is actually a cow. In fitting the cow into a pre-existing schema, the sister shows that she is using the process of ___________.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Assimilation is the cognitive process of fitting new information into pre-existing cognitive schemas, perceptions, and understanding. The young girl is using her existing schema of a "doggie" to try to understand and categorize the cow, which is an example of assimilation.

A Young Girl Driving Past a Farm Sees a Cow