According to Piaget, what is the process of incorporating new ideas and experiences into existing mental structures called?

Piaget's theory of cognitive development highlights the process of assimilating new ideas and experiences into pre-existing mental structures, which is fundamental to how individuals learn and develop understanding. When a person encounters something new, they interpret and integrate it based on their current framework of knowledge and experiences. This is referred to as assimilation. Through this process, learners can expand their understanding and make sense of new information without changing their existing cognitive structures significantly.

In contrast, accommodation occurs when new information cannot be integrated into existing mental frameworks, leading to a modification or change in those frameworks. While modification and internalization may relate to cognitive processes, they do not specifically define the incorporation of new ideas into existing structures in the way that assimilation does. Therefore, the correct terminology in the context of Piaget’s theory for the described process is assimilation.