67. Eighteen-month-old Joey enjoys eating apples. When he sees a tomato for the first time, he says it is an apple. Joey's statement best demonstrates the concept of
Answer: C
Joey's statement best demonstrates the concept of assimilation.
Joey’s identification of the tomato as an apple illustrates the process of assimilation, where he incorporates new information (the tomato) into his existing schema (the concept of an apple).
A) Accommodation
Accommodation refers to the process of altering one's existing schemas or creating new ones when new information does not fit into pre-existing categories. In this case, Joey does not change his understanding of apples but rather fits the new object into his existing schema, which makes accommodation incorrect.
B) Reversibility
Reversibility is the ability to understand that actions can be reversed to return to the original state. This concept does not apply to Joey's situation, as his misidentification of the tomato does not involve any reversible actions or transformations.
C) Assimilation
Assimilation is the correct concept demonstrated by Joey’s behavior, as he interprets the unfamiliar tomato through his existing knowledge of apples. By labeling the tomato as an apple, he is integrating new information into his understanding without modifying his existing schema.
D) A-not-B error
The A-not-B error is a phenomenon observed in infants where they search for an object in a location (A) where they previously found it, even after seeing it hidden in a different location (B). Joey’s behavior does not involve this type of object permanence error; therefore, this option is not applicable.
E) Object permanence
Object permanence is the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen. While this concept is crucial in child development, it does not directly relate to Joey's misidentification of the tomato, making this option incorrect.
Conclusion
Assimilation effectively captures the essence of Joey's cognitive process as he encounters a new object. While accommodation, reversibility, the A-not-B error, and object permanence represent important concepts in child development, they do not align with Joey's behavior of labeling the tomato according to his existing understanding of apples.