Empirical Relationships between Need for Cognition and Cognitive Style: Implications for Consumer Psychology

Abstract

Earlier research by Cacioppo and Petty has shown need for cognition scores to be related to the early conceptualization of cognitive style of Witkin, Dyk, Faterson, Goodenough, and Karp. For a sample of 69 female and 98 male undergraduate business students, the present study investigated relationships between need for cognition and cognitive style as measured by the sensing-intuiting and thinking-feeling components of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Need for cognition scores were statistically related to cognitive style. As hypothesized, subjects high on Intuiting-Thinking scored highest, and those scoring high on Intuiting-Feeling and Sensing-Thinking had intermediate scores. Subjects scoring high on Sensing-Feeling scored lowest. Five of six paired contrasts of need for cognition scores were significant. Market applications and implications for consumer psychology are discussed.