Lesson 3.1.3.2.1

3.1.3.2.1 Assimilation and accommodation Quiz: AQA Psychology, Unit 3

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 3.1.3.2.1, Assimilation and accommodation: 20 multiple choice questions for the AQA GCSE Psychology (8182), Unit 3: Development, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. In Piaget's theory, what is assimilation?

    • Changing an existing schema to fit new information
    • Learning a schema through direct physical instruction
    • Fitting new information into an existing schema
    • Forgetting schemas that are no longer being used

  2. What is accommodation in Piaget's theory?

    • Repeating a physical action to strengthen a reflex the child already has
    • Being unable to take in any new information because schemas are full
    • Fitting new information into an existing schema without any change
    • Changing an existing schema because new information does not fit it

  3. A toddler calls a cow 'dog' because it has four legs. Which process is this?

    • Egocentrism
    • Assimilation
    • Conservation
    • Accommodation

  4. After seeing a whale and learning it is a mammal, a child changes their idea of fish. Which process is shown?

    • Reversibility
    • Accommodation
    • Centration
    • Assimilation

  5. What is a schema in Piaget's theory?

    • An operation that allows objects to be reversed in the mind alone
    • A reflex that is present from the moment of birth and fades later
    • A physical stage that children pass through in a fixed, set order
    • A mental framework used to organise knowledge and experience

  6. Why does Piaget describe a balance between assimilation and accommodation?

    • It proves that intelligence is fixed at birth and cannot change later on
    • It allows a child's understanding to adapt as the world is experienced
    • It shows that children learn only through rewards and praise from adults
    • It guarantees that children never make mistakes in their reasoning at all

  7. A child knows a ball as a round toy, then meets an egg-shaped toy and calls it a ball. Later they notice it does not bounce and change the idea. Which two processes occur, in order?

    • Assimilation only, applied twice
    • Assimilation, then accommodation
    • Accommodation, then assimilation
    • Conservation, then egocentrism

  8. Which situation would most require accommodation rather than assimilation?

    • A child learns that a bat which flies is a mammal, not a bird, and revises the category
    • A child sorts a new red block with the other red blocks they have grouped already
    • A child sings a familiar song they already know, each line from memory alone
    • A child names a new dog with a familiar name they already use for other dogs

  9. A child sees a new kind of animal and places it in the 'pet' category without changing the category. Which process is this?

    • Object permanence
    • Reversibility
    • Assimilation
    • Accommodation

  10. Which statement best contrasts the two processes?

    • Assimilation changes the schema, while accommodation keeps it the same
    • Assimilation keeps the schema, while accommodation changes the schema
    • Both processes keep the schema exactly as it was before the new input
    • Both processes delete the schema and then build a completely new one

  11. A teacher shows a child a new type of puzzle that does not match the child's current thinking. What is the most likely response for the child to adjust their understanding?

    • Egocentrism
    • Centration
    • Accommodation
    • Assimilation

  12. Which example shows assimilation rather than accommodation?

    • A child rethinks how liquids behave after watching a surprising experiment with water
    • A child stops using a spoon after learning that a fork works better for pasta dishes
    • A child uses a spoon to eat a new food that is similar to ones they already eat with a spoon
    • A child changes the rules of a game after a friend shows them a new rule they had not seen

  13. Which statement about schemas is supported by Piaget's theory?

    • Schemas become more detailed and more numerous as a child develops
    • Schemas are fixed and never change once a child reaches infancy
    • Schemas exist only in the brain of adults and not in young children
    • Schemas appear only once a child reaches the formal operational stage

  14. A child expects a dropped toy to still exist even when hidden. What does this show about their schemas?

    • Their schemas for objects are being built and are becoming more complex
    • Their schemas have been replaced entirely by reflexes that only work in the first months
    • Their schemas are not used during play and only develop once they start school
    • Their schemas apply only to people and never to physical objects in the environment

  15. Which process explains a child adapting a bedtime routine after an unexpected change to the household?

    • Accommodation
    • Object permanence
    • Assimilation
    • Conservation

  16. Which is the best description of assimilation in everyday learning?

    • Only learning facts that are repeated many times
    • Forming an idea that has no link to past experience
    • Using an existing idea to make sense of a new experience
    • Discarding an idea as soon as a new experience appears

  17. Which pair of processes does Piaget say work together in development?

    • Assimilation and conservation
    • Conservation and reversibility
    • Assimilation and accommodation
    • Accommodation and centration

  18. A child learns that whales are not fish even though they live in water. Which process is this?

    • Accommodation
    • Assimilation
    • Egocentrism
    • Centration

  19. A pre-school child thinks all men are doctors after meeting one doctor. Which process is this and what would correct it?

    • Assimilation, corrected by accommodation after meeting more people
    • Assimilation, corrected by conservation after meeting more people
    • Conservation, corrected by centration after meeting more people
    • Accommodation, corrected by assimilation after meeting more people

  20. Which statement about a child who keeps every new experience in the same unchanged category is most accurate?

    • Their learning is relying on assimilation without accommodation
    • They are showing reversibility of thought
    • They have reached the formal operational stage
    • Their learning is relying on accommodation without assimilation

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