Texas PPR (Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities) Practice Test

When there is an imbalance between what a child understands and new experiences, it is known as?

1. Assimilation

2. Equilibration

3. Disequilibrium

4. Cooperative Learning

The correct answer is: Disequilibrium

The correct answer is identified as disequilibrium, which refers to the state of imbalance that occurs when a child encounters new experiences that challenge their existing understanding or knowledge. In developmental psychology, particularly in the context of Piaget's theory of cognitive development, disequilibrium prompts children to reassess and reorganize their thoughts to restore balance and achieve greater understanding. This process is crucial for learning, as it drives children to explore, ask questions, and adapt their cognitive frameworks. While assimilation involves integrating new information into existing frameworks without changing the structure, and equilibration is the process of achieving balance between assimilation and accommodation, disequilibrium specifically highlights the initial state of confusion or challenge that leads to cognitive growth. Cooperative learning is unrelated to this cognitive process; it focuses on collaborative learning strategies among peers rather than individual cognitive processing in response to new experiences.