The impact of perceived message complexity and need for cognition on information processing and attitudes

Need for cognition (NC) is a much studied personality trait that refers to an individual’s chronic tendency to engage in and enjoy effortful cognitive activities [Cacioppo, J. T., & Petty, R. E. (1982). The need for cognition. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 42, 116–131]. Our research examines whether tailoring a message to an individual’s NC is effective due to differences in motivation or ability for processing. Therefore, we use a novel assessment of information processing that holds ability constant. Results showed as NC increased, processing became more likely for messages labeled as complex rather than simple. These findings demonstrate that the mere perception of message complexity is sufficient to impact processing among individuals who vary in NC. This indicates that motivational differences are sufficient to generate processing differences for individuals who vary in NC.