Assimilation vs.

Accommodation
MA. Methodology class
S. Vahideh Hosseini Nourbin

Mahshad Tasnimi, Ph.D.

10/14/2013
 1896 - 1980
• 1896-1913: Early Years

• 1914-1918: Formal Education

• 1918-1921: From scientist to

psychologist
 Assimilation vs. Accommodation
Schema Assimilation Accommodiation
Horse No, Zebra

Zebra
Horse
Horse
Horse
Horse
 Schema: an
―elementary
psychological
structure‖
Assimilation vs. Accommodation
 Schema for “doggie”
o Four-legged animal
 Assimilation
o Sees cow, says “doggie”

 Accommodation
o Doggie: small four-legged animal in house
o Cow: large four legged animal on farm

 Assimilation
o Sees horses, says “cow”
 Accommodation
o Cow say “moo”, horses “neigh”
 Assimilation vs. Accommodation

Piaget argued that children do not just passively learn but also actively try to make

sense of their worlds. He argued that, as they learn and mature, children develop

schemas—patterns of knowledge in long-term memory that help them remember,

organize, and respond to information. Furthermore, Piaget thought that when

children experience new things, they attempt to reconcile the new knowledge with

existing schemas. Piaget believed that the children use two distinct methods in doing

so, methods that he called assimilation and accommodation.

 Assimilation vs. Accommodation
Assimilation: This term stemmed from the work of Jean Piaget and his work on
cognitive development of children. Assimilation is the cognitive process of fitting new
information into existing cognitive schemas, perceptions, and understanding. This means
that when you are faced with new information, you make sense of this information by
referring to information you already have (information processed and learned previously)
and try to fit the new information into the information you already have.
Accommodation: This term stemmed from the work of Jean Piaget and his
work
on cognitive development of children. Accommodation is the cognitive process of
revising existing cognitive schemas, perceptions, and understanding so that new
information can be incorporated. In order to make sense of some new information,
you actual adjust information you already have (schemas you already have, etc.) to
make room for this new information. This is related to assimilation.
Assimilation vs. Accommodation
 Assimilation vs. Accommodation
Schema Assimilation Accommodation
 Assimilation vs. Accommodation
Schema
 Cognitive or mental structures by which an individual intellectually adapts to

and organizes the environment.

 Repeated patterns of behavior that develop by trial and error.

 Never stop changing; constantly refined.

 Schemes also change through a second process called organization.
 It takes place internally, apart from direct contact with the environment.
 Once children form new structures, they start to rearrange them, linking them
with other schemes to create a strongly interconnected cognitive system.
 Assimilation vs. Accommodation

Adaptation involves building schemes, or psychological structures, through

direct interaction with the environment.

According to Piaget, adaptation consists of two complementary activities:

Assimilation – using current schemes to interpret the external world.

Accommodation – adjusting old schemes or creating new ones after noticing

that current thinking does not capture the environment completely.

 Assimilation vs. Accommodation
Read More:

 http://www.learningandteaching.info/learning/assimacc.htm

 www.pugetsound.edu/facultypages/cjones/piaget-examples.doc

 http://psychology.about.com/od/aindex/g/assimilation.htm