New experiences refer to unfamiliar or novel situations, events, or information that we encounter in our daily lives. These can include anything from meeting new people to learning new concepts.
Related terms
Assimilation: Assimilation is when we fit new experiences into our existing schema by adding them without changing much of our understanding.
Accommodation: Accommodation occurs when we modify or adjust our existing schema to incorporate new experiences that don't fit easily.
Cognitive Dissonance: Cognitive dissonance refers to the discomfort we feel when there is an inconsistency between our beliefs or attitudes and our actions or new information.