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personality
You naturally prefer effortful thinking over simple, automated shortcuts.
The 'need for cognition' trait measures a person's intrinsic tendency to engage in and enjoy effortful mental exertion.
A 1982 study established that people with a high need for cognition actively seek out complex problems to solve. They integrate more information before forming judgments compared to those who prefer cognitive simplicity. This is not about intelligence, but about the innate drive to analyze information.
Some people find pleasure in the mental heavy lifting you try to avoid.
Where this comes from
- Study
- Cacioppo and Petty, 1982, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
- What the check found
- The 1982 Cacioppo and Petty study is the widely accepted origin of the construct as described. The provided reference material did not contain the text, but the attribution is accurate.
- Confidence
- Solid, with limits
Related
One of these every day, and every one names the study it came from. When a finding is contested, it says so.