Difference Between Assimilation and Accommodation

Both terms, accommodation and assimilation, have different meanings since they are used in different fields, although here we will differentiate them based on their meaning and use in the field of psychology. These terms revolve around cognitive development, which is the study of child development in terms of conceptual resources, information processing, language learning, and others. According to Piaget’s theory of intellectual growth and adaptation, assimilation and accommodation are two complementary processes of adaptation. Assimilation is a type of adaptation process in which new information fits or exists together with previously existing idea or schema. while accommodation is the type of adaptation process in which the new idea replaces the previously existing idea or schema.

Comparison chart

What is assimilation?

The terms assimilation are used in various fields such as sociology, psychology, and neuroscience. In the fields of psychology and neuroscience it is seen as the complementary process of adaptation according to Piaget’s theory of intellectual growth and adaptation in children. It is the type of adaptation process in which the new information fits or exists together with the previously existing idea or scheme. Here it would be known that the previously held idea is not discarded or outdated in this and remains the knowledge base even when adding the new information. On the other hand, in the cultural prescriptive, this term is used for the deviation of the culture of the minority with respect to the majority. In assimilation, the minority loses the original features of its culture and adapts the new culture, even to the extent that it becomes indistinguishable from the majority living in society. Assimilation is the gradual process and the new idea that fits the old one gets a thumbs up after we think it has a similar pattern or is related to already existing knowledge. It can create a bit of confusion in children when the new idea collides with the established ideas, but based on it, they get a better compact understanding about something or someone.

What is accommodation?

In our daily life we ​​use this word as refuge or home, although when we use it in psychology as one of the complementary processes of adaptation in which the idea or scheme already held is replaced by the new and different idea altogether. This happens when a child who is learning in the beginning changes comes to know things that are the exact opposite of her ideas and thoughts about a certain thing. While he thinks them obsolete, the child perceives or adopts this new idea and discards the old one. The accommodation process is the sudden change and asks an individual to create a completely new image or idea about something in particular. For example, if a child has a pet dog, he may have the schema that the four-legged animal is called a dog, although when he sees a horse, a donkey, and other animals,

Assimilation versus accommodation

• Assimilation is a type of adaptation process in which the new information fits or exists together with the previously existing idea or schema, while accommodation is the type of adaptation process in which the new idea replaces the previously existing idea or schema. existing.
• Accommodation occurs when the previously held scheme or idea becomes obsolete or worthless, while in assimilation the new idea settles with prior knowledge.
• Assimilation is the gradual process while accommodation is the sudden change and asks a person to create a completely new image or idea about a particular thing.