Measuring the need for cognition: Structural analysis and measurement of invariance of the short version of the Need for Cognition Scale in Italian adolescents

Elisabetta Lombardi, Emanuele Aloi, Christian Tarchi, Daniela Traficante

Accepted March 9, 2023

First published April 28, 2023

https://doi.org/10.26387/bpa.2023.00001

Abstract

This study aims to adapt and validate the Need for Cognition Scale – Short Version (NFCS; Cacioppo &
Petty, 1982) in Italian adolescents. This instrument measures individual differences in the motivation and enjoyment in
being involved in effortful cognitive activities. The Italian version of the scale, translated and adapted from the original
version, is composed of 18 items and was administered to secondary school students. The confirmatory factorial analysis
proved that the scale had two correlated factors measuring two different dimensions of motivations, namely approach and avoidance of effortful cognitive activities. The scale is also invariant for gender and for the administration measurement (on-line and paper-pencil). Results also indicated that the NFCS had good reliability indices and satisfactory convergent and discriminant validity. Thanks to its good psychometric properties, the Need for Cognition Scale has been proven to be a useful tool in both educational and research areas.

References

  • AMICHAI-HAMBURGER, Y., KAYNAR, O. & FINE, A. (2007).The effects of need for cognition on Internet use. Computers inHuman Behavior, 23 (1), 880-891.

    doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2006.03.002
  • AQUINO, A., PICCONI, L. & ALPARONE, F.R. (2018). Validationof the Italian version of the Need for Cognition Scale – ShortVersion. BPA-Applied Psychology Bulletin, 66 (283).

  • BENTLER, P.M. (1990). Comparative fit indexes in structural models.Psychological Bulletin, 107 (2), 238-246.

    doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.107.2.238
  • BERTI, A.E., AJELLO, A.M., APREA, C., CASTELLI, I., LOMBARDI,E., MARCHETTI, A., MASSARO, D., SAPPA, V. & VALLE A.(2017). Adolescents’ and young adults’ naïve understandings ofthe economic crisis. Europe’s Journal of Psychology.

    doi.org/10.5964/ejop.v13i1.1187
  • BERTRAMS, A. & DICKHÄUSER, O. (2009). High-school students’needforcognition,self-controlcapacity,andschoolachievement:Testing a mediation hypothesis. Learning and IndividualDifferences, 19 (1), 135-138.

    doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2008.06.005
  • BORS, D.A., VIGNEAU, F. & LALANDE, F. (2006). Measuring theneed for cognition: Item polarity, dimensionality, and the relationwith ability. Personality and Individual Differences, 40 (4), 819-828.

    doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2005.09.007
  • BROWN, T.A. (2015). Confirmatory Factor Analysis for appliedresearch (2nd ed.). London: The Guilford Press.

  • CACIOPPO, J.T. & PETTY, R.E. (1982). The need for cognition.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 42 (1), 116.

    doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.42.1.116
  • CACIOPPO, J.T., PETTY, R.E., FEINSTEIN, J.A. & JARVIS, W.B.G.(1996). Dispositional differences in cognitive motivation: Thelife and times of individuals varying in need for cognition.Psychological Bulletin, 119 (2), 197-253.

    doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.119.2.197
  • CACIOPPO, J.T., PETTY, R.E. & FENG KAO, C. (1984). Theefficient assessment of need for cognition. Journal of PersonalityAssessment, 48 (3), 306-307.

    doi.org/10.1207/s15327752jpa4803_13
  • CÁRDABA, M.A.M., BRIÑOL, P., HORCAJO, J. & PETTY, R.E.(2013). The effect of need for cognition on the stability ofprejudiced attitudes toward South American immigrants.Psicothema, 25, 73-78.

    doi.org/10.7334/psicothema2012.107. PMID:23336547
  • CARNEVALE, J.J., INBAR, Y. & LERNER, J.S. (2011). Individualdifferences in need for cognition and decision-makingcompetence among leaders. Personality and IndividualDifferences, 51 (3), 274-278.

    doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2010.07.002
  • CHEN, F.F. (2007). Sensitivity of goodness of fit indexes to lack ofmeasurement invariance. Structural Equation Modeling: AMultidisciplinary Journal, 14 (3), 464-504.

    doi.org/10.1080/1070551070130183410.1007/BF02310555
  • CHEUNG, G.W. & RENSVOLD, R.B. (2002). Evaluatinggoodness-of-fit indexes for testing measurement invariance.Structural Equation Modeling, 9 (2), 233-255.

    doi.org/10.1207/S15328007SEM0902_5
  • COHEN, A.R., STOTLAND, E. & WOLFE, D.M. (1955). Anexperimental investigation of need for cognition. The Journal ofAbnormal and Social Psychology, 51 (2), 291-294.

    doi.org/10.1037/h0042761
  • CRONBACH, L.J. (1951). Coefficient alpha and the internal structureof tests. Psychometrika, 16, 297-334

  • CULHANE, S.E., MORERA, O.F. & HOSCH, H.M. (2004). The factorstructure of the need for cognition short form in a Hispanicsample. The Journal of Psychology, 138 (1), 77-90.

    doi.org/10.3200/JRLP.138.1.77-90
  • DAI, D.Y. & WANG, X. (2007). The role of need for cognition andreader beliefs in text comprehension and interest development.Contemporary Educational Psychology, 32 (3), 332-347.

    doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2006.05.002
  • DE HAAN, G. (2010). The development of ESD-related competenciesin supportive institutional frameworks. International Review ofEducation, 56 (2), 315-328.

    doi.org/10.1007/s11159-010-9157-9
  • DIMITROV, D.M. (2010). Testing for factorial invariance inthe context of construct validation. Measurement andEvaluation in Counseling and Development, 43 (2), 121-149.

    doi.org/10.1177/0748175610373459
  • FABRIGAR, L.R., WEGENER, D.T., MacCALLUM, R.C. &STRAHAN, E.J. (1999). Evaluating the use of exploratory factoranalysis in psychological research. Psychological Methods, 4 (3),272-299.

    doi.org/10.1037/1082-989X.4.3.272
  • FLEISCHHAUER, M., ENGE, S., BROCKE, B., ULLRICH, J.,STROBEL, A. & STROBEL, A. (2010). Same or different?Clarifying the relationship of need for cognition to personalityand intelligence. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 36(1), 82-96.

    doi.org/10.1177/0146167209351886
  • FORSTERLEE, R. & HO, R. (1999). An examination of the short formof the Need for Cognition Scale applied in an Australian sample.Educational and Psychological Measurement, 59 (3), 471-480.

    doi.org/10.1177/00131649921969983
  • FURNHAM, A. & THORNE, J.D. (2013). Need for cognition: Itsdimensionality and personality and intelligence correlates.Journal of Individual Differences, 34, 230-240.

    doi.org/10.1027/1614-0001/a000119
  • GEORGIOU, Y. & KYZA, E.A. (2018). Translation, adaptation,and validation of the Need for Cognition Scale – ShortForm in the Greek language for secondary school students.Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 36 (5), 523-531.

    doi.org/10.1177/0734282916686005
  • HARMAN, J.L. (2011). Individual differences in need for cognitionand decision making in the Iowa Gambling Task. Personalityand Individual Differences, 51 (2), 112-116.

    doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2011.03.021
  • HEVEY, D., THOMAS, K., PERTL, M., MAHER, L., CRAIG, A. &NI CHUINNEAGAIN, S. (2012). Method effects and the Needfor Cognition Scale. International Journal of Educational andPsychological Assessment, 12 (1), 20-33.

  • HU, L.T. & BENTLER, P.M. (1998). Fit indices in covariancestructure modeling: Sensitivity to underparameterized modelmisspecification. Psychological Methods, 3 (4), 424-453.

    doi.org/10.1037/1082-989X.3.4.424
  • HU, L.T. & BENTLER, P.M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexesin covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versusnew alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling, 6, 1-55.

    doi.org/10.1080/10705519909540118
  • KUO, J.C., HORNG, D.J., LIN, C.L. & LEE, S.H. (2012). The causalrelationship between need for cognition and advertising recall.Social Behavior and Personality: An International Journal, 40 (6),1025-1032.

    doi.org/10.2224/sbp.2012.40.6.1025
  • LEVIN, I.P., HUNEKE, M.E. & JASPER, J.D. (2000). Informationprocessing at successive stages of decision making: Need forcognition and inclusion-exclusion effects. OrganizationalBehavior and Human Decision Processes, 82 (2), 171-193.

    doi.org/10.1006/obhd.2000.2881
  • LINS DE HOLANDA COELHO, G., HANEL, P.H.P. & WOLF, L.J.(2020). The very efficient assessment of need for cognition:Developing a six-item version. Assessment, 27 (8), 1870-1885.

    doi.org/10.1177/1073191118793208
  • LOMBARDI, E., DI DIO, C., CASTELLI, I., MASSARO, D. &MARCHETTI, A. (2017). Prospective thinking and decisionmaking in primary school age children. Heliyon, 3 (6), e00323.

    doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2017.e00323
  • LUONG, C., STROBEL, A., WOLLSCHLÄGER, R., GREIFF, S.,VAINIKAINEN, M.P. & PRECKEL, F. (2017). Need for cognitionin children and adolescents: Behavioral correlates and relationsto academic achievement and potential. Learning and IndividualDifferences, 53, 103-113.

    doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2016.10.019
  • MAIO, G.R. & HADDOCK, G. (2010). The psychology of attitudesand attitude change. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

  • MAIO, G.R., VERPLANKEN, B. & HADDOCK, G. (2018). Thepsychology of attitudes and attitude change. Sage.

  • MARSH, H.W., HAU, K.T. & WEN, Z. (2004). In search of goldenrules: Comment on hypothesis-testing approaches to settingcutoff values for fit indexes and dangers in overgeneralizing Hu

  • MARTÍN CÁRDABA, M.Á., BRIÑOL TURNES, P., HORCAJO,J. & PETTY, R.E. (2013). The effect of need for cognition onthe stability of prejudiced attitudes toward South Americanimmigrants. Psicothema, 25 (1), 73-78.

    doi.org/10.7334/psicothema2012.107
  • MUSSEL, P. (2010). Epistemic curiosity and related constructs:Lacking evidence of discriminant validity-science direct.Personality and Individual Differences, 49, 506-510. doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2010.05.014MUTHÉN L.K. & MUTHÉN B.O. (1998-2015). Mplus User’s Guide(Version 7). Los Angeles, CA: Muthén & Muthén.

    doi.org/10.1007/s12519-009-0049-7
  • PETTY, R.E., BRIÑOL, P., LOERSCH, C. & McCASLIN, M.J. (2009).The need for cognition. In M.R. Leary & R.H. Hoyle (Eds.),Handbook of individual differences in social behavior. GuilfordPress.

  • PETTY, R.E., BRIÑOL, P. & TORMALA, Z.L. (2002). Thoughtconfidence as a determinant of persuasion: The self-validationhypothesis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 82 (5),722-741.

    doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.82.5.722
  • PETTY, R.E. & CACIOPPO, J.T. (Eds.) (1986). The elaborationlikelihood model of persuasion. In R.E. Petty & J.T. Cacioppo,Communication and persuasion, New York, NY: Springer.

  • PIERRO, A., MANNETTI, L., CONVERSO, D., GARSIA, V.,MIGLIETTA, A., RAVENNA, M. & RUBINI, M. (1995).Caratteristiche strutturali della versione italiana della scala dibisogno di chiusura cognitiva. TPM, 2 (3-4), 125-141.

  • PRECKEL, F. (2014). Assessing need for cognition in earlyadolescence: Validation of a German adaption of the Cacioppo/Petty Scale. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 30 (1),65-72.

    doi.org/10.1027/1015-5759/a000170
  • SADOWSKI, C.J. (1993). An examination of the short Need forCognition Scale. The Journal of Psychology: Interdisciplinary andApplied, 127 (4), 451-454.

    doi.org/10.1080/00223980.1993.9915581
  • SATORRA, A. & BENTLER, P.M. (2001). A scaled difference chi-squareteststatisticformomentstructureanalysis.Psychometrika,66, 507-514.

    doi.org/10.1007/BF02296192
  • SMITH, S.M. & LEVIN, I.P. (1996). Need for cognition and choiceframing effects. Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, 9, 283-290.

  • STARK, J.S., BENTLEY, R.J., LOWTHER, M.A. & SHAW, K.M.(1991). The student goals exploration: Reliability and concurrentvalidity. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 51, 413-422.

    doi.org/10.1177/0013164491512015
  • TABACHNICK, B.G. & FIDELL, S. (2007). Using multivariatestatistics. Boston, MA: Pearson/Allyn & Bacon.

  • TAIMUR, S. & SATTAR, H. (2019). Education for sustainabledevelopment and critical thinking competency. In W. Leal Filho,A. Azul, L. Brandli, P. Özuyar & T. Wall (Eds), Quality education.Encyclopedia of the UN sustainable development goals. Springer,Cham. Doi:10.1007/978-3-319-69902-8_64-1

  • UBBIALI, A., CHIORRI, C., HAMPTON, P. & DONATI, D. (2013).Psychometric properties of the Italian adaptation of the Big FiveInventory (BFI). Bollettino di Psicologia Applicata, 266, 37-48.

  • VERPLANKEN, B., HAZENBERG, P.T. & PALENEWEN, G.R.(1992). Need for cognition and external information searcheffort. Journal of Research in Personality, 26 (2), 128-136.

    doi.org/10.1016/0092-6566(92)90049-A
  • WEBSTER, D.M., & KRUGLANSKI, A.W. (1994). Individualdifferences in need for cognitive closure. Journal of Personalityand Social Psychology, 67 (6), 1049-1062.

    doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.67.6.1049
  • WIGFIELD, A. & ECCLES, J.S. (2000). Expectancy-value theory ofachievement motivation. Contemporary Educational Psychology,25 (1), 68-81.

    doi.org/10.1006/ceps.1999.1015
  • ZHANG, X., NOOR, R. & SAVALEI, V. (2016). Examining the effectof reverse worded items on the factor structure of the Need forCognition Scale. PLoS ONE, 11 (6): e0157795.

    doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0157795
  • MARSH, H.W., HAU, K.T. & WEN, Z. (2004). In search of golden rules: Comment on hypothesis-testing approaches to setting cutoff values for fit indexes and dangers in overgeneralizing Hu and Bentler’s (1999) findings. Structural Equation Modeling, 11 (3), 320-341.

    doi: 10.1207/s15328007sem1103_2
SHOW ALL REFERENCES (56)HIDE REFERENCES

Related articles

Article info

Issue:

Keywords:

Views:

490

Downloads:

48

Cite the article:

Author Surname Author Initial. Title. Publication Title. Year Published;Volume number(Issue number):Pages Used. doi:DOI Number.


Lombardi Elisabetta . Aloi Emanuele . Tarchi Christian . Traficante Daniela . Measuring the need for cognition: Structural analysis and measurement of invariance of the short version of the Need for Cognition Scale in Italian adolescents. BPA Applied Psychology Bulletin. 2023;296(1):77-90. doi:10.26387/bpa.296.1.

Citation tool

How to cite this article

Author Surname Author Initial. Title. Publication Title. Year Published;Volume number(Issue number):Pages Used. doi:DOI Number.


Lombardi Elisabetta . Aloi Emanuele . Tarchi Christian . Traficante Daniela . Measuring the need for cognition: Structural analysis and measurement of invariance of the short version of the Need for Cognition Scale in Italian adolescents. BPA Applied Psychology Bulletin. 2023;296(1):77-90. doi:10.26387/bpa.296.1.