WHAT THE NEED FOR CLOSURE SCALE MEASURES AND WHAT IT DOES NOT - TOWARD DIFFERENTIATING AMONG RELATED EPISTEMIC MOTIVES

The Need for Closure Scale (NFCS; D. M. Webster & A. W. Kruglanski, 19 94) was introduced to assess the extent to which a person, faced with a decision or judgment, desires any answer, as compared with confusion and ambiguity The NFCS was presented as being unidimensional and as h aving adequate discriminant validity. Our data contradict these concep tual and psychometric claims. As a unidimensional scale, the NFCS is r edundant with the Personal Need for Structure Scale (PNS; M. M. Thomps on, M. E. Naccarato, & K. E. Parker, 1989). When the NFCS is used more appropriately as a multidimensional instrument, 3 of its facets are r edundant with the PNS Scale, and a 4th is redundant with the Personal Fear of Invalidity Scale (M. M. Thompson et al., 1989). Tt is suggeste d that the NFCS masks important distinctions between 2 independent epi stemic motives: the preference for quick, decisive answers (nonspecifi c closure) and the need to create and maintain simple structures (one form of specific closure).