What is the process of interpreting new experiences through existing schemas called?

The process of interpreting new experiences through existing schemas is known as assimilation. This cognitive process involves integrating new information into pre-existing mental frameworks, enabling individuals to understand and make sense of new experiences based on what they already know. For instance, if a child has a schema for dogs and encounters a new breed, they will incorporate this information into their existing understanding of dogs, rather than changing their entire schema to suit the new information.

In contrast, accommodation is the process of altering existing schemas or creating new ones when new information cannot be assimilated into current understanding. Modification or adjustment are not terms typically used in this context within cognitive development; they do not specifically denote the process of integrating new experiences into established frameworks. Thus, assimilation correctly defines the action of fitting new experiences into existing cognitive structures.