A child has learned to get his or her way with a younger sibling by using…
2022
A child has learned to get his or her way with a younger sibling by using physical intimidation. If the child uses the same tactic with a peer, this indicates:
Answer: B. Assimilation — CONCEPTIn Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, assimilation means using an existing schema to interpret or handle a new experience without changing that…
- A.
Social learning
- B.
Assimilation
- C.
Equilibrium
- D.
Accommodation
Attempted by 8 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
CONCEPT
In Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, assimilation means using an existing schema to interpret or handle a new experience without changing that schema.
Accommodation changes the schema when experience does not fit, while equilibration is the process of restoring cognitive balance between schemas and experience.
APPLICATION
The child already has a schema: physical intimidation has been used to get his or her way with a younger sibling. Applying that same unchanged tactic to a peer extends the existing schema to a new but similar social situation.
CONTRAST
Social learning concerns acquiring behaviour through observing or imitating a model; the scenario describes reuse of an already formed schema.
Equilibrium is a balanced cognitive state produced by coordinating assimilation and accommodation; it is not the reuse of a tactic.
Accommodation would require changing or replacing the existing tactic because it did not fit the new situation; no such schema change is described.
CROSS-CHECK
Ask whether the child changes the tactic. The tactic remains the same and is carried into a new context, which is the defining pattern of assimilation.
Therefore, the behaviour indicates assimilation.