Cognitive information processing (CIP) presents established theories and constructs in an information processing paradigm. Peterson, Sampson, and Reardon said that their CIP model rests on ten assumptions:

1. Thinking and feeling combine to cause career choice.
2. Making a career choice is solving a problem.
3. How well you're able to solve this problem depends on intelligence and knowledge.
4. Keen memory is key to solving the problems of career choices.
5. Career development takes motivation.
6. Growing and changing knowledge is part of career development.
7. You've got to know yourself before you can know your career self.
8. Career maturity depends on how well you can solve career problems.
9. Refining the client's ability to organize, remember, and make sense of information is the crux of career counseling.
10. The end purpose of career counseling is to improve the client's career problem-solving and decision-making skills.