Table 1. Item wording for the four different versions of the abbreviated Need for Cognition (NFC) scale used in the study.

Item	Original Version	Positive Version	Reverse-I Version	Reverse-II Version
1	I would prefer complex to simple problems.	I would prefer complex to simple problems.	I would prefer simple to complex problems.	I would prefer simple to complex problems.
2	I like to have the responsibility of handling a situation that requires a lot of thinking.	I like to have the responsibility of handling a situation that requires a lot of thinking.	I hate having the responsibility of handling a situation that requires a lot of thinking.	I don't like having the responsibility of handling a situation that requires a lot of thinking.
3	Thinking is not my idea of fun.	Thinking is my idea of fun.	Thinking is my idea of boring.	Thinking is my idea of boring.
4	I would rather do something that requires little thought than something that is sure to challenge my thinking abilities.	I would rather do something that is sure to challenge my thinking ability than something that requires little thought.	I would rather do something that requires little thought than something that is sure to challenge my thinking abilities.	I would not rather do something that is sure to challenge my thinking ability than something that requires little thought.
5	I try to anticipate and avoid situations where there is likely chance that I will have to think in depth about something.	I like to anticipate and be in situations where there is likely chance that I will have to think in depth about something.	I try to anticipate and avoid situations where there is likely chance that I will have to think in depth about something.	I try to anticipate and avoid situations where there is likely chance that I will have to think in depth about something.
6	I find satisfaction in deliberating hard and for long hours.	I find satisfaction in deliberating hard and for long hours.	I find it frustrating to deliberate hard and for long hours.	I don't find satisfaction in deliberating hard and for long hours.
7	I only think as hard as I have to.	I usually think harder than I have to.	I only think as hard as I have to.	I only think as hard as I have to.
8	I prefer to think about small, daily projects as opposed to long-term ones.	I prefer to think about long-term projects as opposed to small, daily ones.	I prefer to think about small daily projects as opposed to long-term ones.	I do not prefer to think about long-term projects as opposed to small, daily ones.
9	I like tasks that require little thought once I’ve learned them.	I like tasks that require a lot of thinking even after I’ve learned them.	I like tasks that require little thought once I've learned them.	I like tasks that require little thought once I’ve learned them.
10	The idea of relying on thought to make my way to the top appeals to me.	The idea of relying on thought to make my way to the top appeals to me.	The idea of relying on thought to make my way to the top is unappealing to me.	The idea of relying on thought to make my way to the top does not appeal to me.
11	I really enjoy a task that involves coming up with new solutions to problems.	I really enjoy a task that involves coming up with new solutions to problems.	I enjoy task that involves using already known solutions to problems.	I enjoy task that involves using already known solutions to problems.
12	Learning new ways to think does not excite me very much.	Learning new ways to think excites me a lot.	Learning new ways to think makes me bored.	Learning new ways to think does not excite me very much.
13	I prefer my life to be filled with puzzles that I must solve.	I prefer my life to be filled with puzzles that I must solve.	I prefer the puzzles in my life to have easy solutions.	I prefer the puzzles in my life to have easy solutions.
14	The notion of thinking abstractly is appealing to me.	The notion of thinking abstractly is appealing to me.	The notion of thinking abstractly is boring to me.	The notion of thinking abstractly is not appealing to me.
15	I would prefer a task that is intellectual, difficult, and important to one that is somewhat important but does not require much thought.	I would prefer a task that is intellectual, difficult, and important to one that is somewhat important but requires little thought.	I would prefer a task that is somewhat important but requires little thought to one that is intellectual, difficult and important.	I would prefer a task that is somewhat important but requires little thought to one that is intellectual, difficult and important.
16	I feel relief rather than satisfaction after completing a task that required a lot of mental effort.	I feel satisfaction rather than relief after completing a task that required a lot of mental effort.	I feel relief rather than satisfaction after completing a task that required a lot of mental effort.	I do not feel satisfaction after completing a task that required a lot of mental effort.
17	It’s enough for me that something gets the job done; I don’t care how or why it works.	I usually care about how or why something gets the job done.	I usually care little about how or why something gets the job done.	I usually care little about how or why something gets the job done.
18	I usually end up deliberating about issues even when they do not affect me personally.	I usually end up deliberating about issues even when they do not affect me personally.	I usually only deliberate about issues that affect me personally.	I usually don't end up deliberating about issues when they do not affect me personally.

Note. RW items are bolded. Of the RW items, the italicized are negated; the rest are polar opposite. The original NFC scale (Cacioppo, Petty & Kao, 1984) contains nine PW items, which are items 1, 2, 6, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, and 18, and nine RW items, which are items 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 12, 16, and 17. The Positive-I Version contains all PW items. The Reverse-I Version contains all polar opposite RW items. The Reverse-II Version contains nine polar opposite items, which are items 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, and 17, and nine negated items, which are items 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, and 18.