Arizona Educator Proficiency Assessments (AEPA) Practice Exam 2025 – Your All-in-One Guide to Exam Mastery!

The concept of assimilation in child development, as established by psychologist Jean Piaget, refers to the process by which a child integrates new information into existing cognitive schemas or frameworks. In this context, when a child encounters a new or unfamiliar object, they may recognize a similarity between this new object and something they already know, allowing them to incorporate this new experience into their pre-existing understanding.

For example, if a child who understands the concept of a dog encounters a new dog breed they have not seen before, they will likely assimilate this new breed into their existing schema of "dogs" rather than creating a separate category. This process enhances their understanding of the world by expanding their knowledge without fundamentally altering their core perceptions.

The other options represent different cognitive processes. Learning to categorize objects based on color exemplifies categorization rather than assimilation, as it focuses on organizing information rather than integrating new concepts. Creating a new category for objects indicates a process known as accommodation, where existing schemas are modified or new ones are formed in response to new experiences. Similarly, the attempt to manipulate an object to understand its function relates more to exploration and interaction without necessarily assimilating new information into an existing schema.