Which of the following is NOT an example of accommodation in cognitive psychology?

• A. A toddler calls all four-legged animals 'dog' even after seeing a cat for the first time.
• B. An adolescent updates their moral reasoning after encountering a complex ethical dilemma.
• C. A student changes their concept of gravity after learning about Einstein's theory of relativity.
• D. A child revises their understanding of animals after learning that whales are mammals, not fish.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the concept of accommodation in cognitive psychology, which refers to the process of modifying existing cognitive schemas or creating new ones when new information cannot be fitted into existing schemas.
2. Review each example to determine whether it involves changing or updating an existing schema (accommodation) or simply applying an existing schema without change (which would be assimilation).
3. Analyze the example where a toddler calls all four-legged animals 'dog' even after seeing a cat. This shows the toddler is applying an existing schema ('dog' for four-legged animals) without changing it, which is assimilation, not accommodation.
4. Examine the other examples: updating moral reasoning, changing the concept of gravity, and revising understanding of animals all involve modifying or creating schemas, which are clear cases of accommodation.
5. Conclude that the example involving the toddler mislabeling animals is NOT accommodation, as it demonstrates assimilation instead.