Four-year-old Alex and his mother visited the zoo.While they were there, Alex's mother took him to see the squirrel exhibit.Alex saw many different types of squirrels, but when he saw a flying squirrel glide from one branch to the next he pointed and said, "A bird." Considering Piaget's work, Alex is demonstrating an example of

Question

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Alex's initial scheme or mental category for animals that fly may be limited to birds. When he sees the flying squirrel, which does not fit his existing schema, he assimilates it into his existing category of birds. Therefore, he mistakenly calls it a bird. This is an example of assimilation, which occurs when new information is incorporated into an existing schema without changing the schema itself.

Four-Year-Old Alex and His Mother Visited the Zoo