epts of human development, by contrast with passive concepts, hold that individuals are not passive beings, but, rather, are capable of actively governing their own development An active concept of human development is the cognitive development theory.
The cognitive concept of human development was pioneered by Jean Piaget (Hill & Humphrey, 1992, pp. 4-6). Piaget's theory is based on organization and adaptation (Turner & Helms, p. 26). Organization refers to an ability to order and classify new experiences, while adaptation enables an individual to understand the surrounding environment. Adaptation occurs through the functioning of the mental processes of assimilation and accommodation. Assimilation involves the perception and interpretation of new information within the context of existing knowledge and understanding. Accommodation is a more advanced process that involves the restructuring of mental organization in order to include new infor
...