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Category: Project

Description: Previous research results demonstrate that the investment trait Need for Cognition (NFC), i.e., the tendency to actively seek, engage in and enjoy effortful cognitive activity, is beneficial for learning behavior and consequently associated with better results in school and university. In our study we were particularly interested in the aspect of enjoying effortful cognitive activity. Current research demonstrates a relation between the joy of thinking and well-being as well as coping with not only intellectually demanding situations for students but also with challenges in everyday life. As everyday school life goes along with many challenges, we investigated how NFC could serve as a resource for general and school-specific well-being in children between 6 and 19 years. We collected survey data from 1538 children in central eastern Germany, stemming from eleven different schools spanning the school types elementary school, secondary school, grammar school and a school for intellectually highly gifted children. To account for the effects of variables already empirically proven to be influential, achievement motivation as well as academic self-concept were considered, too. In a mini meta-analysis we found a weighted mean of r = .41 between NFC and well-being in school highlighting the potential of NFC as a resource for coping with demanding situations. Hierarchical regression analyses showed varying degrees of incremental validity for NFC over and above achievement motives and ability self-concept depending on the type of school and variables considered. In primary school about 10% incremental variance explanation was due to NFC, but at secondary level only 1% additional variance could be explained by NFC.