Assessing individual differences in adolescents’ preference for rational and experiential cognition

Abstract

This study assessed the factor structure, internal consistency, and concurrent validity of a new instrument, the rational–experiential inventory for adolescents (REI-A), a 20-item measure designed to assess individual differences in preference for rational and experiential cognition in adolescent populations. Data from 306 Australian high school students confirmed the two-factor structure of the existing adult REI ( Pacini & Epstein, 1999). Both rational and experiential scales of the REI-A exhibited good internal consistency (Cronbach’s α > 0.80) and excellent five-week test–retest reliability ( r > 0.90). Consistent with the tenets of cognitive experiential self theory ( Epstein, 1994), higher rational scores were significantly associated with openness to experience, conscientiousness, open-minded thinking, superior reasoning, the absence of neuroticism and the lack of superstitious beliefs. Higher experiential scores were associated with increased emotional expressivity, superstitious beliefs and poorer reasoning. The REI-A provides a valuable tool to assess individual differences in adolescents’ preference for rational and experiential cognition.