Cognitive Experiential Self Theory

Developed by Seymour Epstein in 1994, the Cognitive Experiential Self Theory (CEST) theoryizes that people process information in two ways.

1. Experiential
2. Rational

(Curtis 123)

These two systems are each used in advertising and can be valid depending on what is being advertised.





Products that are low-involvement purchases usually are advertised in a way that appeals to the experiential system.This commercials usually involve humor, catchy music, or animal characters.

Products that are high-involvement are usually portrayed in ways that appeal to the rational system. These commercials usually have hard facts, statistics, and credible sources of information. They may direct the consumer to a website that has more information to help them in their decision.


Curtis, Rebecca. The Relational Self Theoretical Convergences of Psychoanalysis and Social Psychology. 1st ed. New York, NY: The Guilford Press, 1991. 123. Print.