According to Piaget, what is the overall process that includes assimilation and accommodation?

• A. Adaptation
• B. Equilibrium
• C. Equilibration
• D. Assimilation

Answer: (A)

Adaptation is the overall process by which people adjust their thinking to fit new experiences. It includes two complementary mechanisms: assimilation, which fits new information into existing schemas, and accommodation, which changes the schemas themselves to better match what’s encountered. This collaboration between assimilation and accommodation lets the mind continually refine how it understands the world. The drive behind this adjustment is equilibration, the push to restore balance when new experiences don’t initially fit current thinking. Equilibrium, by contrast, is the resulting state of balance, not the process itself, and assimilation alone is only one part of the adjustment.