Final answer:
Kenetra's action of calling a dog a "cat" is an example of assimilation, a concept from Piaget's theory of cognitive development, where she fits new information into her existing schema.
Step-by-step explanation:
Seeing a dog for the first time, Kenetra–whose family owns a cat– points and says "cat". Piaget would say this is an example of assimilation. Assimilation is a cognitive process detailed in Piaget's stages of cognitive development where an individual integrates new information into existing schemas, or frameworks, that represent their understanding of the world. Since Kenetra is familiar with her family's cat and has developed a schema for it, she initially categorizes the new animal (dog) she sees as a "cat", because it fits her existing schema of a small, four-legged furry animal. She will then need to go through a process called accommodation, which involves altering existing schemas or creating new ones when new information does not fit. This would result in Kenetra updating her understanding to distinguish between cats and dogs.