Healthy Skepticism Library item: 20411

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Publication type: Journal Article

Webster DM, Kruglanski AW.
Individual differences in need for cognitive closure.
J Pers Soc Psychol 1994; 67:(6):1049-62
http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/psp/67/6/1049/

Abstract:

This article introduces an individual-difference measure of the need for cognitive closure. As a dispositional construct, the need for cognitive closure is presently treated as a latent variable manifested through several different aspects, namely, desire for predictability, preference for order and structure, discomfort with ambiguity, decisiveness, and close-mindedness. This article presents psychometric work on the measure as well as several validation studies including (a) a “known-groups” discrimination between populations assumed to differ in their need for closure, (b) discriminant and convergent validation with respect to related personality measures, and © replication of effects obtained with situational inductions of the need for closure. The present findings suggest that the Need for Closure Scale is a reliable and valid instrument of considerable potential utility in future “motivated social cognition” research.

Keywords:
Cognition* Female Humans Interpersonal Relations Male Social Behavior*