Assimilation and Accommodation in Cognitive Development

Assimilation refers to the tendency to fit new information into existing frameworks. For example, when a child first sees porpoises swimming in a large tank of water, s/he interprets this information within existing mental frameworks and labels them "fish." Later, the child learns that porpoises breathe air and like to be petted, and forms a new concept for air-breathing but water-loving animals. This latter point illustrates the process of accommodation, which is the tendency to alter existing concepts or mental frameworks in response to new information. (Link to Study Help #4)