Need for cognition relates to low-level visual performance in a metacontrast masking paradigm

• Autores: Monika Fleischhauer, Robert Miller, Sören Enge, Thorsten Albrecht
• Localización: Journal of Research in Personality, ISSN-e 1095-7251, Vol. 48, Nº. 1, 2014, págs. 45-50
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Need for cognition (NFC) refers to dispositional differences in cognitive motivation and has been frequently found to predict higher-order cognition, such as attitude formation and decision making. Based on recent evidence, this study examined whether NFC already relates to relatively early perceptual processes. Using a metacontrast masking paradigm (N = 137), we found that high-NFC individuals were more likely to use target-specific perceptual cues providing valid information for target discrimination, while low-NFC individuals were more likely to use less reliable heuristic cues for their judgement. Intriguingly, our results suggest that core mechanisms of NFC (focussed/elaborative vs. peripheral/heuristic processing by differential utilization of environmental cues) can not only be found in reflective higher-order cognition, but similarly in behavioral indicators of early visual processing.