From a full Need for Cognition scale to a 5-item one: Assessing the structural validity and psychometric properties of the Need for cognition scale in a Peruvian sample

Background. There is no consensus on the dimensionality of the Need for Cognition Scale, having different structural solutions depending on the study. Also, there is no formal psychometric evaluation of the instrument in Lima, Peru.Objective. The present study evaluated the psychometric properties for the Need for Cognition Scale in a Peruvian sample in Lima.Method. A sample of 346 Peruvian adults was taken. The full sample was split into training and test datasets. A series of Confirmatory Factor Analyses were performed for the one-, two-, bifactor multi-trait-multi-method, and a data driven model on the training dataset. In addition to this, reliability and external validity were verified with the Big Five personality factors in the full sample.Results. Only the data driven model obtained an adequate fit on the training, test and full datasets. Followed by an acceptable reliability, and a positive significant correlation with Conscientiousness and Openness to experience, and a negative and significant relationship with Neuroticism was found.Conclusion. The unidimensional 5-item Need for cognition is the only model that showed an adequate fit on the different datasets. Also, the 5-item scale showed to be a valid and reliable instrument for its use in Lima, Peru.