Thinking Style Assessment
Need for Cognition Scale
How much do you enjoy thinking? This test measures your tendency to engage in and enjoy effortful thought. It's about preference, not ability.
What to expect
You'll read 18 short statements about how you think and feel about mental activities. For each one, you choose how well it describes you.
There are no right or wrong answers. This isn't a test of intelligence. It measures how much you enjoy thinking, not how good you are at it.
The Science Behind This Scale
Developed in 1982 and validated across hundreds of studies over four decades.
From the Research
"Need for Cognition quantitatively measures 'the tendency for an individual to engage in and enjoy thinking.'"
— Cacioppo, J. T. & Petty, R. E. (1982). The Need for Cognition. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 42(1), 116–131.
The Need for Cognition Scale was introduced by John Cacioppo and Richard Petty in 1982 as a way to measure individual differences in thinking motivation. The original version had 34 items. In 1984, they published an 18-item short form that captures the same construct with comparable accuracy and much less time.
This scale measures one thing: how much you enjoy effortful mental activity. It does not measure intelligence, knowledge, or problem-solving skill. Someone with a low score might still be very intelligent. They just prefer not to engage in prolonged thinking unless it's needed.
What NFC is not. This is distinct from IQ tests, personality tests, or measures like the Need for Closure Scale (which measures preference for certainty). NFC specifically captures the motivation to think, not the ability or the desire for quick answers.
From the Research
"High scorers readily engage in thinking about topics as they are presented, enjoy the thinking process, and are motivated to apply their thinking skills with little prompting. Such people are likely to be able to process and systematize information, sorting out the irrelevant from the important."
— Cacioppo, J. T. & Petty, R. E. (1982, 1984). As cited in the Wabash National Study.
Research has mapped how Need for Cognition relates to the Big Five personality traits and cognitive ability.
How NFC relates to other traits
People high in NFC tend to be more open to new ideas and experiences
NFC is mostly independent of intelligence. Enjoying thinking ≠ being smart.
NFC scores are not influenced by gender
Source: Fleischhauer et al. (2010). Same or Different? Clarifying the Relationship of Need for Cognition to Personality and Intelligence. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 36(1), 82–96.
From the Research
"The Need for Cognition Scale appears to be a valid and reliable measure of individuals' tendencies to pursue and enjoy the process of thinking. NFC scores are not influenced by whether an individual is male or female. In general, scores are also not impacted by whether or not individuals are trying to paint a favorable picture of themselves."
— Summarizing findings across Sadowski & Gulgoz (1992) and Cacioppo, Petty, Feinstein & Jarvis (1996).
α ≈ 0.90
Cronbach's alpha across multiple studies. One study reported α = .91 and .92 on two administrations.
r ≈ 0.90
7-week test-retest correlation. Your score stays very consistent over time because NFC is a stable trait.
The scale also has strong construct validity. It correlates with related constructs (intellectual curiosity, openness to ideas) and does not correlate with unrelated ones (social desirability, test anxiety). High NFC individuals engage more deeply in arguments and resist superficial persuasion cues. They often use deeper learning strategies in academic settings.
Sources: Sadowski & Gulgoz (1992), Perceptual and Motor Skills, 74, 610; Cacioppo, Petty, Feinstein & Jarvis (1996), Psychological Bulletin, 119(2), 197–253.
NFC vs. related scales
Need for Cognition is often confused with similar-sounding assessments. Here's how they differ.
Need for Cognition
Measures enjoyment of effortful thinking. Do you like to think hard? People high in NFC seek out complex problems for fun.
Measures desire for definite answers and discomfort with ambiguity. You can enjoy thinking (high NFC) while also wanting clear conclusions (high NFC-Closure).
About this tool
This assessment uses the 18-item Need for Cognition Scale developed by Cacioppo, Petty & Kao (1984). The original authors allow free use for non-profit educational purposes. We present the scale exactly as published, with proper scoring and full attribution.
Based on: Cacioppo, J. T. & Petty, R. E. (1982). The Need for Cognition. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 42(1), 116–131. Short form: Cacioppo, Petty & Kao (1984), Journal of Personality Assessment, 48(3), 306–307. Scoring bands are approximate guides based on scale midpoint and distributions reported in the literature, not official cutoffs from the authors.
This is an educational self-reflection tool, not a clinical or diagnostic instrument. Your score describes a preference for thinking, not a diagnosis. There is no "good" or "bad" score. NFC is not a measure of intelligence, ability, or mental health. If you have concerns about your cognitive functioning, consult a qualified professional.
The original authors retain copyright but have allowed free use for non-profit educational purposes. This tool uses the exact 18 items as published. We are not affiliated with the original authors or any institution. For more, see the Wabash National Study documentation.