What is the major strategy of career interventions under cognitive information processing theory?

• A. Job market information sessions
• B. Career counseling to boost motivation
• C. Personality type assessment
• D. Learning interventions to enhance information processing ability

Answer: (D)

In cognitive information processing theory, the key aim of career intervention is to build how a person processes information about work and decisions. That means teaching and practicing the mental steps people use to move from a career question to a concrete action, rather than just giving more data or trying to boost motivation. The practical approach is learning interventions that strengthen information-processing abilities—how someone identifies tasks, gathers and analyzes relevant information, evaluates options, and plans an action.

A central example is the CASVE cycle: communicate the task, analyze the information, synthesize options, valuate choices, and execute a plan. By guiding learners through this cycle with structured practice, feedback, and reflection, they become more autonomous at recognizing what they don’t know, solving problems, and making decisions.

The other options don’t align with this focus. Providing job market information emphasizes external data, boosting motivation targets affect rather than cognitive processing, and personality-type assessments relate to traits or interests, not the cognitive strategies used to navigate career decisions.