Cognitive psychology and tourism – surfing the “cognitive wave”: a perspective article

Abstract

PurposeThis paper aims to provide a personal perspective on the application of psychological theory in tourism studies and the importance of cognitive science for future research.Design/methodology/approachEmpirical findings and theoretical ideas from cognitive science provide insights useful for tourism researchers. The slow uptake of these ideas provides a means to probe systematic weaknesses in the tourism academy’s research practice.FindingsTheories derived from psychology are applied in tourism research, but these same theories are not reassessed after they are discredited, and new approaches emerge. Instead, “old” ideas continue to be used resulting in a moribund theoretical environment. Further, concepts from different paradigms are often adopted in the same study resulting in a confused and confusing literature.Originality/valueThis paper challenges theoretically conservative “social science”-based tourism researchers to adopt current best practice ideas from cognitive psychology. It highlights the value of cognitive psychology and neuroscience research for understanding social science phenomena.