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The Need for Cognitive Closure Scale: Structure, Cross-Cultural Invariance, and Comparison of Mean Ratings between European-American and East Asian Samples
Abstract
The aim of the present study is twofold: (1) to test the factor structure of the Need for Closure scale (NFCS) in three different samples that were not studied previously: Polish (N = 340), Flemish (N = 623), and Korean (N = 429); and (2) to test the invariance of the structure of the scale across the present samples, as well as an American sample (N = 240). With respect to the first objective, our results point out that the two second-order factor model should be preferred. This result corroborates previous studies on American and west European samples. With respect to the second objective, the results provide support for structural invariance, partial metric invariance and partial scalar invariance of the NFC scale across the four samples. In other words, the need for cognitive closure has the same basic meaning and structure cross-nationally, and ratings can be meaningfully compared across countries. The results also revealed significant higher need for closure mean scores in the American and Korean samples than in the Flemish and especially the Polish samples.
... 289 (Kossowska et al., 2002). Таким образом, показатели омега Мак-Доналда и альфа Кронбаха для всех шкал и общего балла в русской версии можно считать достаточными, адекватно отражающими оригинальную, англоязычную модель. ...
... В кросс-культурном исследовании структуры когнитивной закрытости 2002 г. попытка составить единый конструкт из пяти шкал и проверить модель на соответствие потерпела неудачу (Kossowska et al., 2002), после чего авторами было принято решение проверять на согласованность шкалы по (Kossowska et al., 2002, p. 274;Neuberg et al., 1997Neuberg et al., , p. 1401 Проверка пятифакторной модели с удаленными вопросами (7, 14, 21, 36) дала следующие результаты: 2 = 2708, df = 655, 2 /df = 4.13 (в норме), CFI = 0.67 (ниже нормы), SRMR = 0.078 (в норме), RMSEA = 0.07 (в норме), TLI = 0.647 (ниже нормы) (Cangur, Ercan, 2015), при этом = 0.811, ␣ = 0.805. ...
... Ослабление общего конструкта третьей и пятой шкалой отмечалось и в работе М. Коссовской с соавт. (Kossowska et al., 2002), и им удалось достичь наилучшего соответствия модели, удалив данные шкалы. В нашей проверке также получилось достичь подобного эффекта, что, однако, не привело модель в целом к необходимым по современным требованиям значениям показателей. ...
The article presents the results of the Russian-language adaptation of the Need for Closure Scale by A. Kruglyansky and D. Webster, which in its original English version includes 5 scales, 42 questions and additional 5 questions of the “Lie scale”. The scales of the questionnaire are: “The need for order” (10), “The need for predictability” (8), “Decisiveness” (7), “Avoidance of ambiguity” (9) and “Closed-mindedness” (8). For adapting the questionnaire, the following procedures and statistical methods were applied: double-blind forward and backward translation of the questionnaire; checking the discrimination of Ferguson’s ; consistency of Cronbach’s and McDonald’s for the entire test and individual test scales, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) by the method of maximum likelihood, testing of retest reliability, gender differences and external validity. The study involved 643 subjects at the factorization stage and 114 at the external validity stage. The obtained results for the Russian-language scales are: "the need for order" Cronbach’s = 0.81. "the need for predictability" Cronbach’s = .75 "decisiveness" Cronbach’s = .74. "avoidance of ambiguity" Cronbach’s = .65. "closedmindedness" Cronbach’s = .53. Checking the questionnaire (5-factor version, 38 questions) with the Structural Equation Modelling (SEM), indicators were obtained within the norm: 2/df = 4.08, SRMR = .078, RMSEA = .07, however, the CFI and TLI parameters do not correspond to the required norms (CFI = .67, TLI = .647 — below normal). In the test-retest the correlation obtained r =.72, with p .001. Based on the data obtained, a conclusion is made about the correspondence of the five-factor model of the questionnaire of 38 questions to foreign analogues in terms of the degree of consistency.
... To assess individual differences in uncertainty avoidance, we used four subscales of the Need for Closure Scale (Webster & Kruglanski, 1994): the preference for order and structure and the preference for predictability and discomfort occasioned by ambiguity scales. It has been argued that the original decisiveness subscale, the validity of which has been reported as being doubtful (Roets, Van Hiel, & Cornelis, 2006, see also Kossowska, Van Hiel, Chun, &Kruglanski, 2002, andWest, 1997), is actually measuring ability rather than motivation (Roets & van Hiel, 2007) and thus, it has been replaced by six items developed by Roets and van Hiel (2011). 2 The items were rated on a 6-point scale (from 1 = completely disagree to 6 = completely agree; Cronbach's α = .82, M = 3.89, SD = 0.52). ...
... To assess individual differences in uncertainty avoidance, we used four subscales of the Need for Closure Scale (Webster & Kruglanski, 1994): the preference for order and structure and the preference for predictability and discomfort occasioned by ambiguity scales. It has been argued that the original decisiveness subscale, the validity of which has been reported as being doubtful (Roets, Van Hiel, & Cornelis, 2006, see also Kossowska, Van Hiel, Chun, &Kruglanski, 2002, andWest, 1997), is actually measuring ability rather than motivation (Roets & van Hiel, 2007) and thus, it has been replaced by six items developed by Roets and van Hiel (2011). 2 The items were rated on a 6-point scale (from 1 = completely disagree to 6 = completely agree; Cronbach's α = .82, M = 3.89, SD = 0.52). ...
Past research indicates that being religious is frequently motivated by the need to avoid uncertainty, and associated with prejudice against value-violating groups. The present research clarifies these previous findings and shows for the first time a causal link between a sense of uncertainty and group attitudes through religiosity and the perception of the target group's mindset. Study 1 demonstrates that belief in God is associated with uncertainty avoidance, and increases prejudice against value-violating groups, but simultaneously increases positive attitudes towards value-consistent groups. Study 2 demonstrates experimentally that a sense of uncertainty shapes intergroup attitudes when the relationship is mediated through the belief in God, and the perception that a target group actually violated perceiver's values. The results corroborate and broaden previous findings on religiosity, ambiguity avoidance and prejudice, and for the first time show a causal link between a sense of uncertainty and attitudes towards value-violating and value-consistent groups.
... Research on the need for cognitive closure indicates that "need for order" and "need for predictability" likely fall under a single factor Kossowska et al., 2002;Kruglanski et al., 1997). We conducted a factor analysis and also obtained a four-factor solution. ...
In the current research, we explore the possibility that politically conservative consumers may anthropomorphize consumer products more than their liberal counterparts. This is possibly because conservatives need to manage uncertainty in the marketplace. One way to do so might be by assigning more human‐like attributes to inanimate products. We test this hypothesis in three studies by measuring (Studies 1, 2) and manipulating political ideology (Study 3). We find that avoidance of uncertainty (Study 1) and need for order (Study 2) can explain conservatives’ greater anthropomorphism. The effect is stronger for unpredictable than predictable products as the former are associated with greater uncertainty, which conservatives need to manage (Study 3). Also, we report that greater anthropomorphism of products can increase the perceived functionality of the products (Studies 2, 3), offering implications for marketers. In all, the results offer support for our key hypothesis that conservatives anthropomorphize more; they also provide preliminary support for the role of uncertainty management in conservatives’ greater anthropomorphism of products. In our General Discussion, we discuss alternate explanations for the key effect and present some directions for further research in this area.
... NFCS je zamišljen kao jednodimenzionalan instrument koji treba da meri jedinstveni konstrukt preko pet različitih načina na koje se ispoljava (Webster & Kruglanski, 1994). Jednodimenzionalnost i/ili dvodimenzionalnost instrumenta je potvrđena na više različitih uzoraka u svetu (Mannetti, Piero, Kruglanski, Taris, & Bezinovic, 2002;Kossowska, Van Hiel, Chun, & Kruglanski, 2002) i SAD (Kruglanski, DeGrada, Mannetti, Atash, & Webster, 1997), pri čemu se u dvodimenzionalnom rešenju Odlučnost izdvaja od ostalih aspekata NFC koji zajedno čine Potrebu za jednostavnom strukturom. Različite veze koje, u našem istraživanju, pojedini načini ispoljavanja NFC, ostvaruju sa drugim konstruktima, kao npr. ...
Cilj ovog rada je da se utvrdi uloga anksioznosti u relaciji između paranoidnosti i pojedinačnih dimenzija potrebe za zaokruženošću (need for closure - NFC). Uzorak su činili 170 studenata Novosadskog univerziteta koj su ispunili upitnik NFCS, kao meru potrebe za zaokruženošću, PS skalu paranoidnosti i STAI-T, kao meru anksioznosti. Na osnovu prosečnog skora na Skali paranoidnosti uzorak je podeljen u dve grupe: grupa visoko paranoidnih (N=75) i nisko paranoidnih ispitanika (N=95). Analizom glavnih komponenti, u prostoru merenja upitnika NFCS izolovano je pet Varimax dimenzija koje su interpretirane kao: Netolerancija nepredvidivosti, Potreba za redom i strukturom, Potreba za kontrolom i rutinom, Odlučnost i Otvorenost - fleksibilnost. Primenjene su MANOVA i MANCOVA, kako bi se utvrdila povezanost izolovanih dimenzija NFC sa paranoidnošću uz kontrolu anksioznosti. Analize su pokazale da jedna od NFC dimenzija, Potreba za redom i strukturom, nije bila značajno povezana niti sa jednim prediktorom, a samo jedan aspekt potrebe za zaokruženošću - Potreba za kontrolom i rutinom, bio je u značajnoj vezi samo sa paranoidnošću. Dimenzija Netolerancija nepredvidivosti ostvaruje značajnu vezu samo sa anksioznošću. Preostale dimenzije Odlučnost i Otvorenost/ Fleksibilnost su u vezi sa paranoidnošću jedino kada se anksioznost ne drži pod kontrolom, iz čega je pretpostavljena medijaciona uloga anksioznosti u relaciji ovih NFC dimenzija i paranoidnosti. Medijacija je potvrđena serijom regresija i Sobelovim testom. Rezultati su diskutovani u svetlu savremenih kognitivnih teorija paranoidnosti i anksioznosti.
... Weick et al. [21, p. 412] argue that these phenomena of organizing contribute to disorder as evolving phenomena human actors may have to cope with in all work. Research revealed that individual actors showing higher preference for order (PFO) results in their desire to rather avoid ambiguity, uncertainty or disorder [22][23][24]. Thus, individuals' preference for order may rather hinder co-creative behavior as co-evolution and emergence may not be harnessed, but are rather avoided. ...
Digital technologies foster the fluidity of knowledge and information resources and as such support the emergence of more open and co-creative problem-solving activities. At the same time ecosystem-oriented work environments evolve which are increasingly based on numerous heterogeneous actors’ contributions to maintain these work environments’ social systems. Thus, this article seeks to shed light on the question how actors’ digitally enabled contributions to the social system enable co-creative problem-solving in modern work environments. Based on a quantitative study (N = 187) it shows that actors’ digital citizenship behavior fosters co-creative problem-solving while actors’ preference for order decreases this positive effect.
... The chosen subscales were: preference for order, preference for predictability and intolerance of ambiguity. Since the closedmindedness and decisiveness subscales were seen as related to a different underlying process and tap into the ability construct as well (Roets and Van Hiel 2007), they were not included in our analyses (see also Kossowska et al. 2002;Roets et al. 2006). The external validity of the shortened scale was supported by its positive correlations with Right-wing Authoritarianism, or Social Dominance Orientation (Kossowska et al. 2012). ...
Biased memory of the past is often a starting point for intergroup conflicts. In three correlational studies, we examined the relationship between need for closure (NFC) and historical ethnocentric bias, a tendency to overestimate the role of one’s ethnic group in the multicultural history of the city of residence. In addition, we checked whether this relationship would be mediated by an individual preference for essentialist places. We found that higher NFC was related to increased historical ethnocentric bias. Moreover, this relation was mediated by preference for an essentialist type of a place. Our results may contribute to understanding the role of individual differences and preferred type of place in shaping a biased representation of the past. Furthermore, our research findings point to the importance of raising awareness of the multicultural past among high NFC individuals.
... A study conducted on the samples of Europe, America and East Asia to test the invariance of need for cognitive closure found that the concept of cognitive closure need had the same basic meaning and construct in different cultures and the Need for Cognitive Closure Scale could be used to make comparisons between countries. The same study reported that the closure needs were significantly higher in the American and Korean samples compared to the Flemish and especially Poland samples [20]. A study conducted to test whether Webster and Kruglanski's [21] Need for Closure Scale was a reliable and valid tool to contribute to further motivation and social cognition studies, studied the effects of the ambiguity of the 1712 The Turkish Adaptation of 15-Item Version of the Need for Cognitive Closure Scale and Relationship between Thinking and Decision-making Styles encountered task and the acquisition at the end of the task on cognitive closure [22]. ...
Need for cognitive closure refers to the need to reach a precise knowledge instead of confusion and ambiguity on a subject and the desire to make a decision as soon as possible. The purpose of the present research is to adapt the "15-item version of the Need for Closure Scale" developed by Roets and Van Hiel to Turkish and testing the relationships between thinking and decision-making styles and the need for cognitive closure through the adapted scale. The work group consists of 577 people who voluntarily participated. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to test the validity of the scale. Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient was calculated to test the reliability of scale scores. The research also utilized Thinking Styles Inventory developed by Sternberg and Wagner and Decision Making Styles scale developed by Scott and Bruce. According to the findings of the research, need for Cognitive Closure Scale is a valid and reliable instrument that can be used to study the attitudes towards cognitive closure in Turkey. Additionally, cognitive closure and thinking and decision-making styles are related; the need for cognitive closure can also be regarded as an approach to thinking and decision-making.
... However, most effects still hold when the above scales are included. Also, long version refers to the original 32-item scale (Webster & Kruglanski, 1994; or Polish version by Kossowska, Van Hiel, Chun, & Kruglanski, 2002); short version refers to the 15-item scale (Kossowska et al., 2012). Finally, decisiveness from Roets and Van Hiel (2007) shows that the corrected decisiveness subscale was used. ...
This paper describes a programme of research addressing an intriguing inconsistency in research findings about cognitive processes under a high need for cognitive closure (NFC). While early studies demonstrated that individuals who seek closure opt for closed-minded cognitive strategies, a growing body of research has identified a number of circumstances in which individuals who are high in NFC engage in effortful, open-minded information processing to an even greater extent than their low NFC counterparts. This has posed the challenge of delineating the circumstances under which people motivated to reduce uncertainty (i.e., attain closure) engage in effortful and open-minded cognition from those situations in which they rely on simplistic, low-effort strategies. This also calls for theoretical advancement in NFC theory. We discuss our proposed solution to this puzzle and the implications of this model for real-world social phenomena.
... The scale consists of five subscales: (1) preference for order and structure in the environment, (2) predictability of future contexts, (3) affective discomfort occasioned by ambiguity, (4) closed-mindedness, and (5) decisiveness of judgments and choices. Since the decisiveness (e.g., Roets and van Hiel 2007) and closed-mindedness subscales (Neuberg and Newsom 1993) have been shown to measure not only motivational but also other aspects, we have included only first three subscales in our analysis (see also Kossowska et al. 2002;Neuberg et al. 1997;Roets et al. 2006Roets et al. , 2015 for more support of this selection). Sample items are: I find that establishing a consistent routine enables me to enjoy life more or I don't like to be with people who are capable of unexpected actions. ...
In three studies, we examined the role task rules play in multitasking performance. We postulated that rules should be especially important for individuals highly motivated to have structure and clear answers, i.e., those high on need for cognitive closure (NFC). High NFC should thus be related to greater compliance with task rules. Specifically, given high goal importance, NFC should be more strongly related to a multitasking strategy when multitasking is imposed by the rules, and to a mono-tasking strategy when monotasking is imposed by the rules. This should translate into better multitasking or mono-tasking performance, depending on condition. Overall, the results were supportive as NFC was related to a more mono-tasking strategy in the mono-tasking condition (Studies 1 and 2 only) and more dual-tasking strategy in the dual-tasking condition (Studies 1–3). This translated into respective differences in performance. The effects were significant only when goal importance was high (Study 1) and held when cognitive ability was controlled for (Study 2).
... The scale consists of 15 items divided into five facet scales, being preference for order and structure, predictability of future contexts, affective discomfort occasioned by ambiguity, closed-mindedness, and decisiveness. Since the decisiveness subscale was argued to be related to a different underlying process and tap onto the ability construct as well (Roets & van Hiel, 2007), it was not included in further analyses (see also Kossowska, Van Hiel, Chun, & Kruglanski, 2002;Neuberg, Judice, & West, 1997;Roets et al., 2008, for more support of this selection). Prototypical items of the NFC Scale are I do not like situations that are uncertain or I find that establishing a consistent routine enables me to enjoy life more. ...
Need for Closure (NFC) refers to an individual’s aversion to uncertainty and desire to
quickly resolve it. Although numerous studies have demonstrated that this need leads
to a reluctance to invest effort in judgments and decision making, we argue that NFC
may be associated with less or more effort investment depending on key features of the
performance situation and instrumentality of effort for achieving closure. Specifically,
we expect that high (vs. low) NFC individuals should exert less effort when both lowand
high-effort performance options are available and both afford closure. By contrast,
they should exert more effort when task-related uncertainty causes that only effortful
means are instrumental for the goal of achieving closure. If only a high-performance
option allows the task goal to be attained and instructions how to perform a task are
clear and specific, there will be no differences between high and low NFC participants.
We tested these hypotheses in an experiment framed in terms of Motivational Intensity
Theory. The experiment asked participants to solve cognitive tasks under relevant
performance circumstances, indexing effort through assessment of systolic blood
pressure (SBP) responses. Results were supportive. They help to account for contradictory
findings in the NFC literature and add substantively to the broader literature
concerned with determinants and cardiovascular correlates of effort.
Three experiments investigated whether the need to have (or avoid) cognitive closure affects observers' tendency to display attributional bias. Results of each experiment indicate that the over-attribution bias was magnified under high need for cognitive closure and attenuated under high need to avoid closure. In Experiments 1 and 3, the relevant motivational state was manipulated situationally, whereas in Experiment 2 an individual-differences measure of the closure motivation was used. These divergent operationalizations yielded convergent results. Furthermore, when in Experiment 3 the task consisted of attributions to the situation, high need for closure augmented. and high need to avoid closure reduced, situational rather than dispositional overattributions. The results imply general motivational boundary conditions for inferential biases across judgmental contents.
Three studies examined the impact of the need for cognitive closure on manifestations of in-group bias. All 3 studies found that high (vs. low) need for closure increased in-group favoritism and outgroup derogation. Specifically, Study 1 found a positive relation between need for cognitive closure and both participants' ethnic group identification and their collective self-esteem. Studies 2 and 3 found a positive relation between need for closure and participants' identification with an in-group member and their acceptance of an in-group member's beliefs and attitudes. Studies 2 and 3 also found a negative relation between need for closure and participants' identification with an out-group member and their acceptance of an out-group member's beliefs and attitudes. The implications of these findings for the epistemic function of in-groups are discussed.
The Need for Closure Scale (NFCS; D. M. Webster & A. W. Kruglanski, 1994) was introduced to assess the extent to which a person, faced with a decision or judgment, desires any answer, as compared with confusion and ambiguity. The NFCS was presented as being unidimensional and as having adequate discriminant validity. Our data contradict these conceptual and psychometric claims. As a unidimensional scale, the NFCS is redundant with the Personal Need for Structure Scale (PNS; M. M. Thompson, M. E. Naccarato, & K. E. Parker, 1989). When the NFCS is used more appropriately as a multidimensional instrument, 3 of its facets are redundant with the PNS Scale, and a 4th is redundant with the Personal Fear of Invalidity Scale (M. M. Thompson et al., 1989). It is suggested that the NFCS masks important distinctions between 2 independent epistemic motives: the preference for quick, decisive answers (nonspecific closure) and the need to create and maintain simple structures (one form of specific closure).
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 (c) replication of effects obtained with situational inductions of the need for closure
A theoretical framework is outlined in which the key construct is the need for(nonspecific) cognitive closure. The need for closure is a desire for definite knowledge on some issue. It represents a dimension of stable individual differences as well as a situationally evocable state. The need for closure has widely ramifying consequences for social-cognitive phenomena at the intrapersonal, interpersonal, and group levels of analysis. Those consequences derive from 2 general tendencies, those of urgency and permanence. The urgency tendency represents an individual's inclination to attain closure as soon as possible, and the permanence tendency represents an individual's inclination to maintain it for as long as possible. Empirical evidence for present theory attests to diverse need for closure effects on fundamental social psychological phenomena, including impression formation, stereotyping, attribution, persuasion, group decision making, and language use in intergroup contexts.
Three aspects of the self (private, public, collective) with different probabilities in different kinds of social environments were sampled. Three dimensions of cultural variation (individualism-collectivism, tightness-looseness, cultural complexity) are discussed in relation to the sampling of these three aspects of the self. The more complex the culture, the more frequent the sampling of the public and private self and the less frequent the sampling of the collective self. The more individualistic the culture, the more frequent the sampling of the private self and the less frequent the sampling of the collective self. Collectivism, external threat, competition with outgroups, and common fate increase the sampling of the collective self. Cultural homogeneity results in tightness and in the sampling of the collective self. The article outlines theoretical links among aspects of the environment, child-rearing patterns, and cultural patterns, which are linked to differential sampling of aspects of the self. Such sampling has implications for social behavior. Empirical investigations of some of these links are reviewed.
Two studies investigated need for cognitive closure effects on group interaction. In both, participants in four-person groups role-played the members of a corporate committee dividing a monetary reward among meritorious employees. The entire interaction sequence was videotaped and content-analyzed by independent observers. Study 1 investigated need for closure as both a dispositional and a situational variable (induced via time pressure). Bales' (1970) interaction process analysis (IPA) yielded that both forms of this need were positively related to the preponderance of task-oriented responses and negatively related to the preponderance of positive social–emotional acts. Study 2 compared groups composed of members high on a dispositional need for closure with those composed of members low on this need. In the discussions of high (vs low) need for closure groups, there were greater conformity pressures and a less egalitarian participation. Need for closure thus appears to affect both the contents of member responses in a group context and the process whereby group interaction may unfold. 1999 Academic Press Order of authorship was determined alphabetically and does not reflect relative contribution.