Question

When a child learns the word for dog and starts calling all four-legged animals dogs initially, this is an example of ___.

A. Assimilation; accommodation
B. Accommodation; assimilation
C. Equilibration; adaptation
D. Adaptation; equilibration

Answer 1

The process where a child initially calls all four-legged animals dogs is called assimilation. When the child corrects this understanding and learns to distinguish between animals, this process is known as accommodation. The correct answer is A. Assimilation; accommodation.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a child learns the word for dog and starts calling all four-legged animals dogs, this is an example of assimilation; when the child is corrected and learns to distinguish different animals, this is an example of accommodation. Hence, the correct answer is A. Assimilation; accommodation.

Assimilation occurs when new experiences are incorporated into existing schemas, such as with 2-year-old Abdul who has developed a schema for dogs and applies it to all furry, four-legged animals. On the contrary, accommodation happens when a schema is adjusted to include new information, as Abdul does when he learns the difference between dogs and sheep after his mother corrects him.