In Piaget's cognitive developmental theory, what does "assimilate" mean?

In Piaget's cognitive developmental theory, "assimilate" refers to the process of integrating new experiences into existing schemas. Schemas are mental frameworks that help individuals organize and interpret information. When a person encounters a new experience that fits into an already established schema, they assimilate that experience by applying the existing understanding to the new situation.

For instance, if a child has a schema for dogs that includes all four-legged animals, upon seeing a new breed of dog, they assimilate this new information by recognizing it as a dog, thereby reinforcing their existing schema. This process is vital because it allows individuals to make sense of the world around them without having to create entirely new frameworks each time they encounter something unfamiliar.

The other options describe different cognitive processes: creating new schemas relates to "accommodation," adjusting schemas also pertains to this concept, and learning through external reinforcement aligns more with behaviorist approaches, which are separate from Piaget's focus on cognitive development.