Need for cognition and thought-induced attitude polarization: Another look

Thought-induced attitude polarization is the process of causing an attitude to become more extreme by thinking about it. Leone and Ensley (1986) reported that individual differences in need for cognition moderate the effect of thought on attitude polarization. The present research both confirmed and qualified their work Consistent with Leone and Ensley's results, Study 2 showed that a low (relative to high) need for cognition is associated with greater thought-induced attitude polarization when explicit instructions to think about one's attitudes are issued. However, in Studies 1, 2, and 3, we found that when not explicitly directed to reflect on their recently expressed attitudes, individuals high, rather than low, in need for cognition exhibited relatively more attitude polarization. This difference in extent of attitude polarization was eliminated in Study 3 when the opportunity for attitude-relevant thought was precluded. Study 4 demonstrated that individuals with a high (vs. low) need for cognition generate more overall attitude-relevant thought. Taken together the data provide support for the argument that a high need for cognition promotes more spontaneous thought about recently expressed attitudes, and thus is more associated with attitude polarization in situations where no directive to think is forthcoming.