Effects of need for cognition, attribution of intent, and quality of argument on persuasion.

Abstract

The interaction among need for cognition, level of mindfulness, and argument quality on attitude change was investigated. Two hundred ninety-six subjects classified as high or low need for cognition read either a strong or weak argument under conditions of aroused mindfulness or induced mindlessness. No main effects were found for level of mindfulness on message recall or reports of expended mental effort. Neither aroused mindfulness, high need for cognition, nor the interaction between the two produced different evaluations of argument quality or subsequent attitude change. A main effect for need for cognition was found for message recall and expended mental effort. High need for cognition individuals, whether in a mindful or mindless state, recalled more of the message and reported expending more mental effort than low need for cognition individuals.