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Cognitive Experiential Self-Theory

ASSESSMENT OF THEORY AND ITS PROPOSITIONS Cognitive Experiential Self-Theory, commonly referred to as CEST was first studied by Dr. Seymour Epstein, a Professor in the Psychology Department at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Dr. Epstein has done extensive research over this topic written numerous peer reviewed articles on the subject. Cognitive Experiential Self-Theory believes that people process information that they hear two different ways, experientially or cognitively. According to Epstein, “The first or experiential system relies on experience and intuition. In particular, individuals consider issues intuitively and effortlessly. Rather than reflect upon the various considerations in sequence, individuals form a global impression of issues.” Epstein later goes on to explain that the second way or cognitive system in which we process information, “in contrast, relies on logic and rationality. In particular, individuals analyze issues with effort, logic, and deliberation rather than rely on intuition.” (Epstein). The major differences in the systems of thinking lie in the fact that the cognitive system is analytical, whereas the experiential system is holistic. The experiential system being holistic means that the person thinks more rapidly about the decisions they make as compared to the cognitive system. DISCUSSION OF EMPERICAL EVIDENCE (Support or Criticism) Many other researches have gone on to study the Cognitive Experiential Self-Theory and their findings are consistent with Epstein. One of the criticisms against the CEST is that the two ways of thinking, experiential and cognitive can work together at the same time seem to be contradictory. It is hard to believe that you can be thinking analytically, while also thinking using your intuition. These two ways of thinking are very different and some researchers feel that you can only use one of the two systems at a given time. Epstein’s’ has compared his work on the Cognitive Experiential Self-Theory to Freud’s work, mainly dealing with the conscious, preconscious, and the unconscious. Epstein believes that his work with the Cognitive Experiential Theory works at the preconscious level. Although Epstein has used his research in comparison to Freud’s work, he also sees that they differ at the unconscious level in terms of the CEST approach. An interesting finding in the research on CEST is that there is support stating that terror management theory happens in the experiential system. CONCLUSIONS Many conclusions can be made from Dr. Epstein’s work on the Cognitive Experiential Self-Theory. Even though the experiential system and cognitive system are different, they are highly interactive with each other. It has been found that neither system is better than the other, they are both unique in their own respects. Dr. Epstein and his colleagues have mainly conducted their research over Cognitive Experiential Self-Theory in relation to personality, but the are continuing researching on other aspects of life such as health and the effects that it can have. Through all the research that Dr. Epstein has completed he feels that the experiential system is a “mixed blessing; that it is hard to live with, but hard to live without”.

RELATED SOURCES

http://www.cisat.jmu.edu/visionsconference/pdfs/Epstein.pdf

http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=ELc63AwqAcAC&oi=fnd&pg=PA111&dq=cognitive+experiential+self+theory&ots=Q08xti0Xfw&sig=ClO_kLRSo9JPrJSioRZWwren2gI#v=onepage&q=cognitive%20experiential%20self%20theory&f=false

http://www.psych-it.com.au/Psychlopedia/article.asp?id=53

http://www.socialemotiveneuroscience.org/pubs/simon_etal97tm.pdf CESTheory (talk) 22:54, 13 April 2011 (UTC)