04/01/2025

Cognitive Information Processing Theory: Two Book Reviews

By Melanie E. Adams and Elizabeth Pawley

Students need to learn decision-making skills to make informed career choices throughout their lives. The Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) highlights the importance of career decision-making in its standards for career services (2019), emphasizing the need for practitioners to use structured approaches when guiding students. One such approach is the Cognitive Information Processing (CIP) theory, which provides a framework to help students analyze information about themselves and their career options. Introducing this theory in a higher education setting can enhance learning outcomes by improving students’ ability to make well-informed career decisions.

Notable career development scholars recently published two books that higher education career service professionals can use to inform their practice. The eighth edition of Career Development & Planning (Reardon et al., 2024) is intended for students. Cognitive Information Processing: Career Theory, Research, and Practice (Sampson et al., 2023) serves as a guidebook for practitioners. A review of each book is included here.

A Review of Career Development & Planning: A Comprehensive Approach

Reardon, R. C., Lenz, J. G., Peterson, G. W., & Sampson, J. P., Jr. (2024). Career development & planning: A comprehensive approach (8th ed.). Kendall Hunt. 324 pages.

Overview of the Textbook Structure

This career development textbook is organized into three parts, making the content accessible and digestible for students. This structure also enables instructors to be flexible, allowing them to tailor the material to courses of varying lengths and credit hours.

Part One: Career Concepts and Applications (Chapters 1–5)

This section introduces the fundamentals of career planning and provides an in-depth exploration of CIP theory, woven throughout subsequent chapters. Students are guided to examine their interests, values, and skills while learning to analyze labor market data. Tools like the Pyramid of Information-Processing Domains and the CASVE Cycle (a decision-making framework involving Communication, Analysis, Synthesis, Valuing, and Execution) are central to this section, offering a structured approach to informed career decision-making.

Part Two: Social Conditions Affecting Career Development (Chapters 6–10)

This section delves into external factors that influence career development, such as technological advancements, global economic trends, organizational culture, alternative work arrangements, and the interplay of work and family roles. Integrating these topics helps students develop a holistic understanding of how broader societal changes can impact individual career trajectories (Reardon et al., 2024).

Part Three: Implementing a Strategic Career Plan (Chapters 11–15)

The final section emphasizes career readiness, covering essential job search skills as well as transitioning into professional roles. When career service professionals apply CIP to their practice, these chapters offer actionable strategies that are immediately applicable to real-world scenarios.

Updates and Enhancements in the 8th Edition

The most notable enhancement in this edition is the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) across multiple chapters. For example, Chapter 3 explores the implications of AI and speculates on its role in shaping future occupations, while Chapter 13 discusses the growing popularity of AI in recruitment processes. The authors provide practical tips to help students navigate these emerging trends, such as preparing for AI-driven interviews.

Another significant improvement is the textbook’s streamlined content. At one institution, students shared that they found the previous edition, (Reardon et al., 2022) to be overly dense, presenting overwhelming information for one to three-credit courses. In this edition, the authors have condensed material and removed outdated content while maintaining the text’s core value. Additionally, labor market data and employment statistics have been updated, ensuring students and instructors have access to the most current information available.

The instructor’s manual has also been revised, emphasizing active learning techniques and adaptability for virtual teaching environments. It includes teaching suggestions, assignments, and activities for each chapter, serving as a comprehensive guide for new and experienced instructors. This resource has proven invaluable for onboarding new instructors, offering a clear blueprint for delivering the course effectively. Furthermore, the publisher provides test questions and presentation slides for all chapters.

Strengths and Impact

The textbook stands out for its ability to balance theoretical foundations with practical applications. By grounding its content in CIP theory and citing reputable sources throughout, the text equips students with both a conceptual understanding of career development and actionable tools to navigate their career paths.

Students' feedback at one institution that utilizes this textbook has been overwhelmingly positive. Many have noted the clarity and relevance of the material, mainly its focus on modern workplace challenges and practical solutions. From an instructor’s perspective, the textbook’s structure and supplementary materials make it a highly effective teaching resource.

A Review of Cognitive Information Processing: Career Theory, Research, and Practice

Sampson, J. P., Jr., Lenz, J. G., Bullock-Yowell, E., Osborn, D. S., &. Hayden, S. C. W. (Eds.). (2023). Cognitive information processing: Career theory, research, and practice. Florida State Open Publishing. https://doi.org/10.33009/fsop_sampson1123

Overview of the Textbook Structure

Sampson et al. (2023) provide career professionals with a practical, open-source manual for utilizing Cognitive Information Processing (CIP) theory. This book innovatively blends diverse perspectives by enlisting over 25 writers and editors who apply CIP theory in both research and practice. One of CIP’s cornerstones is consistently assessing the theory’s impact through research, which is well covered in this piece.

Although the book is lengthy at over 600 pages, it is well organized, making it incredibly easy to comprehensively learn about CIP while readily accessing practical resources. Printable handouts, like the Decision Space Worksheet and the Individual Learning Plan, are featured in the book’s ten appendices. The authors are thorough in delivering instruction on how best to use these tools and adapt them for work with clients. When dealing with an issue as complex as career decision making, having outlined practical strategies and long-utilized guides available to the reader provides structure and helpful next steps. The book is neatly categorized into six major sections including theoretical concepts, strategies for delivery, and use of theory in practice. Whether you are a career services professional looking to equip yourself and your clients with solutions or a higher education administrator researching how to manage a high-performing, theory-based career center, the book has it all in an easy-to-navigate format. Each chapter features a helpful summary and takeaways for the reader to gain the most benefit, aligning with the digestible practicality of CIP theory.

Strengths and Impact

In a modern world where career decision-making is often overwhelming and stifled by information overload, Cognitive Information Processing: Career theory, research, and practice provides clear direction. By outlining what elements are involved in a good career decision through the CIP triangle and walking through the CASVE cycle, readers are provided with a practical, detailed solution to career decision-making for both themselves and their clients. Printable exercises and demonstrations of interventions in case studies help ensure readers know how to turn theory into action.

The variety of case studies showcases the broad applicability of CIP theory. Covering the utilization of CIP in 10 countries also demonstrates the framework's transferability in various cultures and settings. Perhaps the most groundbreaking consideration of this work is that it is 100% free, downloadable, and accessible to all. The authors of the CIP theory have created, tested, and adapted this framework and its interventions for over 30 years with the application and research contributed by over 500 career advisors at the Florida State University Career Center, as well as partner universities and organizations throughout the world. The open-source nature of this book further cements CIP theory as a mainstay contribution to the career development world. The authors truly want their work to benefit as many people as possible, without any paywall.

Conclusion

The Cognitive Information Processing (CIP) theory continues to shape the field of career development by providing both students and professionals with a structured approach to decision-making. The works reviewed here serve as essential resources for different, but often overlapping, audiences—one offering students a clear and practical guide to career planning, and the other equipping career service professionals with free access to research-backed strategies for implementation. Both authors of this review rely on the tenants of CIP theory in their classroom and career advising practices, effectively serving different student populations with tools and strategies that are simple to reference and adapt. Together, these two books highlight the enduring relevance of CIP theory in navigating an increasingly complex career landscape fraught with a surplus of online information. By integrating these insights into practice, practitioners can better support students and clients in making informed, strategic career choices that align with their evolving goals and the demands of the modern workforce.

References

Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education. (2019). CAS professional standards for higher education (10th ed.). CAS.

Reardon, R. C., Lenz, J. G., Dozier, V. C., Roark, K. A., Hultman, J. D. (2022). Career development & planning: A comprehensive approach (7th ed.). Kendall Hunt.

Reardon, R. C., Lenz, J. G., Peterson, G. W., & Sampson, J. P., Jr. (2024). Career development & planning: A comprehensive approach (8th ed.). Kendall Hunt. https://he.kendallhunt.com/product/career-development-and-planning-comprehensive-approach

Sampson, J. P., Jr., Lenz, J. G., Bullock-Yowell, E., Osborn, D. S., &. Hayden, S. C. W. (Eds.). (2023). Cognitive information processing: Career theory, research, and practice. Florida State Open Publishing. https://doi.org/10.33009/fsop_sampson1123

Liz Pawley is an Assistant Professor and Computer Engineering Co-op Advisor at the University of Cincinnati, where she mentors and guides students through their co-op search and professional development. With a background in career coaching and curriculum development, she has held leadership roles in university career services, supporting students in securing experiential learning opportunities, navigating job searches, and building industry connections. A dedicated advocate for inclusion, she has contributed to national conferences and publications on neurodiversity, career readiness, and mental health in the workplace. She holds MS and EdS degrees in Counseling and Career Development from Florida State University, where she worked as a Career Advisor in the FSU Career Center. She reviewed Cognitive Information Processing for this article. She may be reached at lizpawleyek@ucmail.uc.edu.

Melanie Adams is the Director for Career Education & Coaching at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida and provides forward-leaning program development and hands-on leadership for the Career Education & Coaching team. Melanie oversees most student-related goals for career services, including but not limited to, career assessments, career courses, career readiness workshops, individual appointments, and career development content and training. Melanie has taught Career & Life Planning which helps first and second year undecided college students with career decision-making and most recently helped launch a new course capstone course, Professional Development for graduating seniors. Both courses use the textbook Career Development & Planning a Comprehensive Approach (which she reviewed in this article). Melanie is a Certified Master of Career Services (CMCS) through the National Career Development Association and received a Master of Science in Higher Education Administration from Florida International University. Melanie is actively involved in the Credentialing Commission through NCDA and regularly presents at conferences and webinars on career-related topics. She may be reached at madams39@fau.edu.