Cognitive-Experiential Self-Theory

Cognitive-experiential self-theory, developed by Seymour Epstein, is a dual-process model of perception holding that people operate using two separate systems for processing information, an analytical-rational system that is deliberate, slow and logical, and an intuitive-experiential system that is fast, automatic and emotionally driven. Epstein treats the two systems as independent processes that operate in parallel and interact to produce behavior and conscious thought, and while earlier dual-process theories existed, such as Shelly Chaiken's heuristic-systematic model, Carl Jung's distinction between thinking and feeling, and John Bargh's account of automatic versus non-automatic processing, Epstein's own theory is distinct in placing its dual-process model inside a full theory of personality rather than treating it as an isolated cognitive shortcut. Individual differences in a preference for one system over the other can be measured with the Rational Experiential Inventory, which several studies have confirmed captures a substantial amount of variance in information-processing style not addressed by other personality models such as the five factor model.