ABSTRACT

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.

摘要

本文介绍了一项研究计划，该计划解决了在认知封闭（NFC）需求很高的情况下有关认知过程的研究结果中一个令人感兴趣的矛盾之处。早期的研究表明，寻求封闭的人会选择思维封闭的认知策略，但越来越多的研究发现，在许多情况下，NFC较高的人会更加努力地进行开放思维的信息处理比他们的低NFC同行。这就提出了一个挑战，那就是要描绘出人们在何种情况下出于减少不确定性（即实现封闭）的动机而从那些依靠简单，低努力的策略的情况中进行努力，开放的认识。这也要求NFC理论的理论发展。