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Motivated closing of the mind: “Seizing” and “freezing”
Abstract
A theoretical framework is outlined in which the key construct is the need for (nonspecific) cognitive closure. The need for closure is a desire for definite knowledge on some issue. It represents a dimension of stable individual differences as well as a situationally evocable state. The need for closure has widely ramifying consequences for social-cognitive phenomena at the intrapersonal, interpersonal, and group levels of analysis. Those consequences derive from 2 general tendencies, those of urgency and performance. The urgency tendency represents an individual's inclination to attain closure as soon as possible, and the permanence tendency represents an individual's inclination to maintain it for as long as possible. Empirical evidence for present theory attests to diverse need for closure effects on fundamental social psychological phenomena, including impression formation, stereotyping, attribution, persuasion, group decision making, and language use in intergroup contexts.
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“the default mindset of most adults is a relatively inactive state where the past unduly influences the present (e.g., Hart et al., 2009; Kruglanski & Webster, 1996).”
From Psychological flexibility as a fundamental aspect of health (2010) · cites this paper as Kruglanski & Webster, 1996
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Political conservatism as motivated social cognition.
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“…following and negative affect (Tomkins, 1963, 1965), uncertainty avoidance (Sorrentino & Roney, 1986; Wilson, 1973b), need for cognitive closure (Kruglanski & Webster, 1996), personal need for structure (Altemeyer , 1998; Schaller, Boyd, Yohannes, & O'Brien, 1995; Smith & Gordon, 1998), need…”
BackgroundInfluentialSelf-citationMotivated Skepticism in the Evaluation of Political Beliefs
Taber, C. S., & Lodge, M. (2006) · American Journal of Political Science · doi:10.1111/j.1540-5907.2006.00214.x · Cited by 4,344
“Partisan goals, which motivate them to apply their reasoning powers in defense of a prior, specific conclusion (Kruglanski & Webster, 1996).”
BackgroundIndividual differences in reasoning: Implications for the rationality debate?
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“The need for closure (e.g., Dittes, 1961; Kruglanski & Mayseless , 1988; Kruglanski & Webster, 1996) indexes stable individual differences in the extent to which a person desires " an answer on a given topic . . . compared to confusion and ambiguity " (Kruglanski , 1990, p. 337; Kruglanski &…”
BackgroundHeuristics and Biases: The Psychology of Intuitive Judgment
Bottom, W. P., Gilovich, T. D., Griffin, D., & Kahneman, D. J. (2004) · Academy of Management Review · doi:10.2307/20159081 · Cited by 3,583
Metadata
- Authors
- Kruglanski, A. W., & Webster, D. M.
- Affiliations
- University of Maryland, College Park (US)
- ORCID
- Kruglanski, Arie W.
- Venue
- Psychological Review
- Published
- 1996-04
- Volume
- 103
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 263-283
- ISSN
- 0033-295X (ISSN-L)
- 1939-1471
- OpenAlex
- W1994106556
- Cited by
- 2,379
- References
- 87
- Citations by year
- 2026: 105 · 2025: 104 · 2024: 75 · 2023: 78 · 2022: 110 · 2021: 130 · 2020: 150 · 2019: 96 · 2018: 135 · 2017: 107 · 2016: 98 · 2015: 92 · 2014: 107 · 2013: 88 · 2012: 108
- FWCI
- 80.97
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Psychological Review (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health (5r01mh052578-05, 5k05mh001213-03)
- National Institute of Mental Health (1R01 MH 52578, KO5/MH01213)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Social and Intergroup Psychology
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Psychology of Social Influence
- Keywords
- need for closure, cognitive closure, impression formation, stereotyping, attribution, persuasion, group decision making, individual differences, social cognition
- MeSH terms
- Cognition, Decision Making, Humans, Intelligence, Language, Personality
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