Chapter 23: A Cautionary Tale

This volume has sought to identify the benefits of using cognitive psychology in understanding the tourist experience. It discusses areas where tourism researchers should be cautious in applying cognitive psychology. Certainly, t scholars must understand the assumptions, criticisms and limitations of cognitive theories and associated data collection techniques. Cognitive psychology is a dynamic field with alternative theoretical perspectives and emerging debates. This volume discusses particular mainstream ideas, such as cognitive appraisal theory and seeks to identify their relevance and identifies difficulties and perceived limitations scholars discover in exploring this new field.