This paper presents a useful model of cognitive manipulation, combining the information processing paradigm, radical constructivism and various theories to offer a nuanced perspective on how learners create and restructure knowledge. The age of 21st century facilitates the expansion of knowledge and a deliberate practice of applied epistemology. The model posits that learners actively engage with cognitive tools to make sense of new information and experiences through continuous reconstruction. The model highlights two types of cognitive manipulation—linear (convexing) and nonlinear (concaving)—and identifies three hierarchical levels of cognitive manipulation: substructuring, conceptualizing, and contemplating. These processes collectively shape how individuals build complex cognitive structures through learning.