Validation of the Italian version of the Need for Cognition Scale – Short Version

Antonio Aquino, Laura Picconi, Francesca Romana Alparone

Accepted December 31, 2018

First published December 31, 2018

Abstract

This research aims at providing an Italian validation of the Need for Cognition Scale – Short Version (NCS). This instrument measures individual differences in the motivation to enjoy effortful cognitive activities. NCS was administered to 508 students, equally distributed by gender (Mean age = 20.78; SD = 1.75). The Italian version of the scale, translated and adapted from the original version, is composed of 18 items on a 7-point Likert scale. An exploratory factorial analysis (Random split sample = 254) and a confirmatory factorial analysis (Random split sample = 254) proved that the scale had two correlated factors measuring two different kind of motivations (approach and avoidance of effortful cognitive activities). Results also indicated that the NCS had good reliability indices and satisfactory discriminant and convergent validity. Thanks to its good psychometric properties, the NCS has been proven to be a reliable tool in both educational and research areas.

Validation of the Italian version of the Need for Cognition Scale – Short Version

References

  • AMICHAI-HAMBURGER, Y., KAYNAR, O. & FINE, A. (2007). TheeffectsofneedforcognitiononInternetuse.ComputersinHumanBehavior, 23, 880-891. https:/

    doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2006.03.002
  • APPEL, M., GNAMBS, T. & MAIO, G.R. (2012). A short measure ofthe need for affect. Journal of Personality Assessment, 94, 418-426.https:/

    doi.org/10.1080/00223891.2012.666921
  • AQUINO, A., HADDOCK, G., MAIO, G.R., WOLF, L.J. &ALPARONE, F.R. (2016). The role of affective and cognitiveindividual differences in social perception. Personalityand Social Psychology Bulletin, 42, 798-810. https:/

    doi.org/10.1177/0146167216643936
  • BOLLEN, K.A. (1989). Structural equations with latent variables.New York, NY: Wiley.

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

    doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2005.09.007
  • CACIOPPO, J.T. & PETTY, R.E. (1982). The need for cognition.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 42, 116-131. https:/

    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 cognitivemotivation: The life and times of individuals varying in needfor cognition. Psychological Bulletin, 119, 197-253. https:/

    doi.org/10.1037//0033-2909.119.2.197 
  • CACIOPPO, J.T., PETTY, R.E. & KAO, C.E (1984). The efficientassessmentofneedforcognition.JournalofPersonalityAssessment,48, 306-307. https:/

    doi.org/10.1207/s15327752jpa4803_13
  • CARICATI, L. & RAIMONDI, M. (2015). The Motivated ConsumerInnovativeness Scale: Initial Italian validation. TPM: Testing,Psychometrics, Methodology in Applied Psychology, 22, 363-383.https://dx.

    doi.org/10.4473/TPM22.3.4
  • 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, 272-299. https:/

    doi.org/10.1037//1082-989x.4.3.272 
  • 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, 471-480. https:/

    doi.org/10.1177/00131649921969983
  • FURLONG, P.R. (1993). Personal factors influencing informalreasoning of economic issues and the effect of specificinstructions. Journal of Educational Psychology, 85, 171-181.https:/

    doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.85.1.171 
  • HANKINS, M. (2008). The factor structure of the twelve itemGeneral Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12): The result of negativephrasing? Clinical Practice and Epidemiology in Mental Health, 4,10. https:/

    doi.org/10.1186/1745-0179-4-10
  • HORN, J.L. (1965). A rationale and test for the number of factorsin factor analysis. Psychometrika, 30, 179-185. https:/

    doi.org/10.1007/BF02289447
  • HU, L.T. & BENTLER, P.M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes incovariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus newalternatives. Structural Equation Modeling, 6, 1-55. https:/

    doi.org/10.1080/10705519909540118
  • KLINE, R.B. (1998). Principles and practice of structural equationmodeling. New York, NY: Guilford.

  • KRUGLANSKI, A.W. (1990). Motivations for judging and knowing:Implications for social attributions. In E.T. Higgins & R.M.Sorrentino (Eds.), Handbook of motivation and cognition:Foundations of social behavior. New York, NY: Guilford.

  • KRUGLANSKI, A.W. & THOMPSON, E.P. (1999). Persuasion by asingle route: A view from the unimodel. Psychological Inquiry, 10,83-109. https:/

    doi.org/10.1207/s15327965pl100201 
  • LEONE, L. & PRESAGHI, F. (2012). Validity of the Need for AffectScales: Factorial structure, invariance and validity in the Italiancontext. TPM: Testing, Psychometrics, Methodology in AppliedPsychology, 14, 1-18.

  • MAIO, G.R. & ESSES, V.M. (2001). The need for affect: Individualdifferences in the motivation to approach or avoid emotions.Journal of personality, 69, 583-614. https:/

    doi.org/10.1111/1467-6494.694156 
  • MAIO, G., HADDOCK, G. & VERPLANKEN, B. (2018). Thepsychology of attitudes and attitude change. Sage PublicationLimited.

  • MARSCH, H.W. (1989). Confirmatory factor analyses of multitrait-multimethod data: Many problems and a few solutions.Applied Psychological Measurement, 13, 335-361. https:/

    doi.org/10.1177/014662168901300402 
  • NUNNALLY, J.C. & BERNTSTEIN, I.H. (1994). Psychometric theory(3rd ed.). New York, NY: McGrawHill.

  • PETTY, R.E. & CACIOPPO, J.T. (1986). The elaboration likelihoodmodel of persuasion. Advances in experimental social psychology,19, 123-205. https:/

    doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-4964-1_1
  • PIERRO, A. & KRUGLANSKI, A.W. (2005). Revised Need forCognitive Closure Scale (NfCS). Unpublished manuscript,Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.

  • PODSAKOFF,P.M.,MacKENZIE,S.B.,LEE,J.Y.&PODSAKOFF,N.P.(2003). Common method biases in behavioral research: A criticalreview of the literature and recommended remedies. Journal ofApplied Psychology, 88, 879-903. https:/

    doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.88.5.879
  • SCHERMELLEH-ENGEL, K., MOOSBRUGGER, H. & MULLER,H. (2003). Evaluating the fit of structural equation models:Tests of significance and descriptive goodness-of-fit measures.Methods of Psychological Research Online, 8, 23-74. https:/

    doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00181 
  • SCHRIESHEIM,C.A.&HILL,H.D.(1981).Controllingacquiescenceresponse bias by item reversals: The effect on questionnairevalidity. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 41, 1101-1114. https:/

    doi.org/10.1177/001316448104100420
  • 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. https:/

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

  • VANDECASTEELE, B. & GEUENS, M. (2010). Motivated consumerinnovativeness: Concept and measurement. International Journalof Research in Marketing, 27, 308-318. https:/

    doi.org/10.1016/j.ijresmar.2010.08.004
  • WANG, V.C.X. (Ed.) (2015). Handbook of research on scholarlypublishing and research methods: Advances in knowledgeacquisition, transfer, and management. IGI Global.

  • ZHANG, X., NOOR, R. & SAVALEI, V. (2016). Examining the effectof reverse worded items on the factor structure of the need forcognitionscale.PloSONE,11,e0157795.https:/

    doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0157795
SHOW ALL REFERENCES (33)HIDE REFERENCES

Article info

Issue:

Keywords:

Views:

258

Downloads:

22

Cite the article:

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


Aquino Antonio. Picconi Laura. Alparone Francesca Romana. Validation of the Italian version of the Need for Cognition Scale – Short Version. BPA Applied Psychology Bulletin. 2018;283(1):18-29.

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.


Aquino Antonio. Picconi Laura. Alparone Francesca Romana. Validation of the Italian version of the Need for Cognition Scale – Short Version. BPA Applied Psychology Bulletin. 2018;283(1):18-29.