FTCE Professional Education Practice Exam

What involves incorporating new information into existing mental frameworks?

1. Assimilation

2. Accommodation

3. Cooperative play

4. Symbolic play

The correct answer is: Assimilation

The correct answer is assimilation, which refers to the process of integrating new information into existing cognitive structures or mental frameworks. This concept is a key principle of cognitive development in psychology, particularly associated with the work of Jean Piaget. When an individual encounters new experiences or information, assimilation allows them to interpret and understand these new inputs by fitting them into what they already know. For example, if a child has a mental framework for dogs and then sees a new breed of dog, they may recognize it as a dog without changing their existing understanding. In contrast, accommodation refers to changing one's existing mental structures to incorporate new information that doesn't fit into those established frameworks. While both processes are essential for learning and cognitive development, assimilation specifically highlights the integration of new experiences into previously established understandings. Cooperative play and symbolic play, while important aspects of child development, do not directly relate to the process of incorporating new information into existing frameworks.