Assimilation vs Accommodation: Examining How We Adapt

Anyone who has taken a course on child development has probably heard the name Jean Piaget. Some may understand that he has something to do with a theory of cognitive development or childhood learning. Piaget also coined the term “adaptation” in the context of psychology. In this article, we are going to take a closer look at assimilation vs accommodation, two processes that fall under the umbrella of “adaptation”, or the concept of how we learn and process new information. We’ll also take a look at how these processes can continue to shape us as we learn throughout our lifetime. 

Piaget and cognitive development

Let’s start with Piaget himself, and what he brought to the world in terms of understanding cognitive development. Jean Piaget was a Swiss psychologist who worked in the early to mid-twentieth century and achieved worldwide fame for his contribution to developmental psychology. 

Unimpressed by the understanding of childhood learning at the time, Piaget revolutionized the ideas of education with his theory of stages of cognitive development. He examined how the brain processes new information throughout childhood up into adulthood and broke it into four stages: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational stage. Piaget’s theory is used to this day in education and certain forms of therapy. 

Schema

To understand assimilation and accommodation and their role in adaptation, we do not need to understand the stages of development. Rather we need to look at one of the concepts within these stages called “schema”. The schema Piaget defined refer to units of knowledge that are used to respond to stimuli in an appropriate way, as well as organize information in the brain. Psychologists often refer to individual schemata (the singular form of schema), as “index cards” or “building blocks”.  

Adaptation

Adaptation as a psychology term was coined by Piaget and refers to the manipulation of the schema, or learning and processing new information. The “index cards” of schema can be changed in a variety of ways: new information can be added to an existing card, the card may be moved to a new file, or information on the card can be erased entirely. New information changes our perceptions. This is learning, and it can be done throughout our lifetime. 

What is assimilation?

Assimilation is the process by which new information is added to a concept we already know. This new information can be added as a note to the existing schema, but does not change the schema itself. So, for example, let’s take the concept of plants. You learn throughout your life about plants, and certain facts become a part of your concept of plants. Then let’s say you learn about carnivorous plants. You didn’t realize that there were plants that digested insects. It’s an expansion of your existing knowledge about plants, but doesn’t change your idea of other plants or plants in general. 

What is accommodation?

Accommodation can be a more complex and gradual process than assimilation. Rather than simply adding information to a schema, accommodation involves changing it altogether. This is when you learn new information and then need to dismantle what you already know to better accommodate this information. An example of accommodation is when as a child, you learn the concept of “family” based on your own experiences. If your parents divorce, you may have to accommodate new, more complex ideas of what family looks like as the family unit changes. 

How assimilation and accommodation occur in everyday life

Learning is a lifelong process. Both assimilation and accommodation continue to shape our lives as we move through adulthood. Cognitive structures may not often change in significant ways as we age, but recent research suggests that the brain continues to learn well into old age. We can still learn new information, form new memories, learn skills, and improve vocabulary and language. 

Typically, new learning in adulthood falls under assimilation, as new info is added to existing ideas, or existing schemas. However, it is possible for accommodation to happen at any age. An example of this would be a person who for most of their life held to uninformed and bigoted ideas about a culture or cultures. Let’s say that this person then began working with a group of people from this culture and learned that their ideas were wrong, posing a challenge to their ethnocentric mental structures. Rethinking their position and opening up to other cultures is an example of accommodation. 

Cognitive therapy

Both assimilation and accommodation can occur naturally in a person’s life, but sometimes they are actively sought. For example, someone who decides to participate in therapy may be looking to change the way they relate to themselves and their self-esteem. Cognitive behavioral therapy (or CBT) is an effective and popular form of talk therapy that is used to manage stress, learn how to learn new patterns of thought and behavior, and reduce symptoms of common mental health conditions such as anxiety or depression. 

CBT is also available through online therapy. Research shows that participating in online CBT is just as effective as attending traditional, in-person therapy sessions. For many people, this is simply a more convenient way to get therapy, while others use it because they don’t have access to therapists that meet their needs where they live. Still others find that it can be more cost-effective, since therapists working in online space can charge less due to the lack of overhead costs like office space and utilities. With online therapy platforms like BetterHelp, you can fill out a simple questionnaire and get matched with a therapist within days. Therapy sessions take place over video conferencing, messaging, or the phone so you can get the benefits of therapy from the comfort of your own home or office. 

Takeaway

While Jean Piaget had revolutionary ideas about learning and child development, our understanding of these processes continues to grow today. Learning can change how we think for the better, no matter our age. If you are interested in changing negative thought patterns, increasing self-esteem, or managing stress in your life, cognitive behavioral therapy can be an effective way to learn how to accommodate your existing schema with new information.