Jeannie observed rocks sinking in water and said, “I already knew that. All rocks sink.” Then she saw a piece of pumice floating on water and was told that pumice is rock. Several days later, she was asked again if rocks sink in water. She replied, “Well, most do.” In Piaget’s terms, what process did Jeannie use to draw this conclusion?
A. Accommodation
B. Assimilation
C. Classification
D. Conservation
Answer:A
Jeannie observed rocks sinking in water and said, “I already knew that. All rocks sink.” Then she saw a piece of pumice floating on water and was told that pumice is rock. Several days later, she was asked again if rocks sink in water. She replied, “Well, most do.” In Piaget’s terms, what process did Jeannie use to draw this conclusion?
A. Accommodation B. Assimilation C. Classification D. Conservation
Explanation: A) Jeannie is using accommodation by changing her ideas about whether rocks sink or float based on her experience in observing a floating piece of pumice. Assimilation would have involved resisting the idea that rocks float, perhaps by failing to accept pumice as a type of rock.