What does the adaptation process in Piaget's theory represent?

The adaptation process in Piaget's theory refers to how individuals adjust their thought processes and understanding in response to new experiences and information, which plays a crucial role in cognitive development. This process comprises two key components: assimilation and accommodation.

Assimilation involves integrating new information into existing cognitive frameworks, while accommodation is the alteration of those frameworks in response to new information that cannot fit within the existing structures. Together, these processes enable individuals to transition from one cognitive stage to another, reflecting the dynamic nature of cognitive growth as outlined in Piaget's stages of cognitive development.

Through these adaptations, children and individuals move through the different stages identified by Piaget, such as sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational stages, thus illustrating how their cognitive abilities evolve over time.