Certificate In Psychology (CPSY) Practice Exam

What term describes when a child modifies an existing schema to account for new experiences?

1. Assimilation

2. Modeling

3. Accommodation

4. Replication

The correct answer is: Accommodation

The term that describes when a child modifies an existing schema to account for new experiences is accommodation. In the context of cognitive development, particularly as outlined by Jean Piaget, accommodation occurs when new information cannot be easily assimilated into existing schemas. Instead, the child must change or adapt their understanding to incorporate this new information. For example, if a child has a schema for dogs that includes only small dogs, and they encounter a large dog for the first time, they cannot fit this new experience into their existing understanding. As a result, the child modifies their schema for dogs to include larger breeds. This process reflects cognitive growth, showing that the child is not just acquiring new information, but is also refining and expanding their cognitive framework to better represent their understanding of the world. The other terms relate to different concepts in cognitive development. Assimilation refers to the process of integrating new experiences into existing schemas without changing the schema itself. Modeling involves learning behavior through the observation of others, while replication refers to the process of repeating an experiment or study to confirm results, which does not pertain specifically to cognitive schema modification.