First stage in the adaptation of schema, assimilation allows a child to make a general interpretation of its world. In the 'bus' example (see Organisation), once the bus schema is formed the toddler for a while calls similar vehicles buses. On being contradicted by his/her mum, and also on the basis of experience in coming across more and more types of vehicle, he/she realises that a lorry etc. isn't a bus. They begin to be more stimuli specific and use the bus schema only in relation to buses. This is accommodation, or the second stage in the adaptation of schema.

The process through which a new experience is placed into an existing schema. go to glossary index

In Piaget's terminology, incorporation of new information into an existing cognitive structure.

A Piagetian term describing a person's ability to comprehend and integrate new experiences.

C. G. Jung:"Fundamentally, assimilation is the approximation of a new content of consciousness to already constellated subjective material, the similarity of the new content to this material being especially accentuated in the process, often to the detriment of its independent qualities." In this description, he clearly identifies how we may unconsciously alter the qualities of an object of our consciousness to the extent that their original qualities or features may be masked.

the cognitive process that interprets new information in light of existing schemas. 119

cognitive process that fits new information into existing knowledge.

In Piaget's theory, one of the twin processes by means of which cognitive development proceeds. Assimilation is the process whereby the environment is interpreted in terms of the schemas the child has at the time. See accomodation.

the application of previous concepts to new concepts.

listen The processing of new material of learning such that learning occurs. The process of assimilation is guided by the current internal experience (prior experiences in current state of cognitive structure (qv)) of the object of learning, and any given current purposes for the learning. In meaningful learning, assimilation is accompanied by the process of accommodation (qv). cognitive structure – the network of concepts, emotions, knowledge, experiences, beliefs etc that guides a personâ€(tm)s functioning at a particular time;

the process of assimilating new ideas into an existing cognitive structure

the process of conforming one sound to another to aid in pronunciation. For example, in the phrase "in Colorado", the "n" in "in" becomes palatalized because of the following "C". It may take you a while to assimilate this concept.

The mechanism of transferring jobs and individual job holders from the existing grade structure to the new one.

Clearly distinct from integration, a process of eliminating distinctive group characteristics which may be encouraged as a formal policy (e.g., American "melting pot").

The process of interpreting new perceptions in order to make them consistent with existing cognitive structures.

The process of assimilating new ideas into a schema (cognitive structure). See schema (psychology). In the theories of Jean Piaget, the application of a general schema to a particular instance).

In Piagetian theory, a component of adaptation; process of interpreting an experience in terms of current ways (schemes) of understanding things.