Assimilation is defined as

• A. Incorporating new information into an existing schema
• B. Adjusting schemata based on new information
• C. A stage of development
• D. A type of symbolic play

Answer: (A)

Assimilation is about incorporating new information into an existing schema. In Piaget’s terms, schemas are the mental templates we use to organize knowledge. When a child encounters something new, they interpret it through what they already know instead of changing their framework. For example, if a child has a schema for “dog” and encounters a new four-legged animal, they’ll identify it as a dog because it fits the existing category. The information is absorbed using the current schema rather than modifying that schema. If the child later recognizes differences that require a new category or a modification of the old one, that adjustment is accommodation, not assimilation. The other statements don’t capture this process: adjusting schemata based on new information is accommodation; a stage of development and a type of symbolic play are not about fitting new information into existing schemas.