Marcus is a toddler and has a pet cat at home.One day on TV,he sees a lion and says "kitty." His mother says "yes,a lion is a big kitty." Given his mother's response,how will Marcus process "lion?"
A) Develop a sense of object permanence.
B) Accommodate the new information by changing his schemata.
C) Assimilate the new information into his existing schemata.
D) Eliminate his schemata for "kitty."

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Assimilation is the process of taking new information and incorporating it into our existing mental structures (schemata). In this case, Marcus already has a schemata for "kitty" which includes his own pet cat. When he sees a lion on TV and calls it a "kitty," his mother's response suggests that the new information (lion) can be included in his existing schemata for "kitty" by extending it to include larger cats like lions. Therefore, Marcus is assimilating the new information into his existing schemata for "kitty."

Marcus Is a Toddler and Has a Pet Cat at Home.One