Cognitive information processing theory is designed to help individuals become resourceful and responsible career problem solvers and decision makers throughout their life (McLeannan & Arthur, 1999). Sampson, Peterson, Lenz, and Reardon (1992) are recognized as being the first researchers to apply cognitive information processing to career development. .
Considering the complexity of career decisions, on one hand, and individuals" limited cognitive information processing capability and limited time and material resources, on the other hand, the challenge faced is to reduce the amount of information that must be processed, with as little lost as possible in the quality of the decision made. Sampson, Peterson, Lenz, and Reardon believed that this can be achieved by creating distinct stages (Sampson, Peterson, Lenz, & Reardon, 1999). To remove the gap between one's reality and one's desired outcome, a series of thought processes in which information about a problem is used to arrive at a course of action. The decision making process is included in the problem solving phase. Moving from the problem solution to action involves a strategy and commitment to carry out the strategy. .
Information processing is the central theory of the cognitive perspective and it addresses the basic steps that people take to obtain, encode, remember, think, and make decisions (Sampson, et al., 1999). An analysis follows what happens from the beginning of a task, such as an employment choice (the problem to solve) to the end with the employment choice made (problem solved). The basic theory is that much of the sequence of events can be thought of as the movement, storage, and transformation of information (Sampson, et al., 1992). Higher levels of cognitive information processing include problem solving and critical thinking. .
The cognitive information processing theory related to job placement can be conceptualized by first assessing oneself.
