Some Effects of the Need for Cognition on Course Grades

Abstract

It was predicted that high need for cognition students would better comprehend course material which required a great deal of effortful thought than would low need for cognition students; no differences were expected for material which required relatively less effortful thought. Students completed a measure of the need for cognition and four objective tests in an undergraduate social psychology course. As indicated by independent student-raters, course material varied in the amount of effortful thought required for mastery. Results were consistent with our hypotheses. Analysis also showed that the differences in the need for cognition on comprehension were not mediated by differences in intolerance of ambiguity.