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.
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