Need For Closure Scale - Short
Technical Manual
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The Need for Closure Scale (NFCS), 15 questions
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Script Author: Katja Borchert, Ph.D. (katjab@millisecond.com), Millisecond
Date: 01-14-2026
Last Updated: 01-14-2026 by K. Borchert (katjab@millisecond.com), Millisecond
Script Copyright © 01-14-2026 Millisecond Software, LLC
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VERSION
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Format: Short
language: English
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BACKGROUND INFO
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This script implements a computerized version of the The Need for Closure Scale (NFCS), originally published by
Webster & Kruglanski (1994) and updated by Roets & Van Hiel (2007).
The NFCS measures the need for certainty ('closure'). It comes in a long version (41 questions) and a short one
(15 questions). This script implements the short version.
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REFERENCES
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//PLEASE NOTE: When reporting results both scales need to be referenced.
Webster, D. M., & Kruglanski, A. W. (1994). Individual differences in need for cognitive
closure. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 67(6), 1049–1062.
Roets, A., & Van Hiel, A. (2007). Separating ability from need: Clarifying the dimensional
structure of the need for closure scale. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 33(2),
266-280.
https://www.kruglanskiarie.com/need-for-closure
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TASK DESCRIPTION
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A self report scale with 15 6-point Likert scale questions
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DURATION
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1 minute
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DATA OUTPUT DICTIONARY
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(1) Raw data file: 'nfcs15.iqdat'
date: date script was run
time: (local) time script was run
subject: with the current subject id
group: with the current group id
session: with the current session id
build: The specific Inquisit version used (the 'build') that was run
q*_response: response given (in assigned values)
Scale: 1 (strongly disagree) - 6 (strongly agree)
R: no reversed scored questions
q*_latency: how much time (in ms) the participant spent on the surveypage with this particular
question (the last time this particular surveypage was visited)
(2) Summary data file: 'nfcs15_summary*.iqdat'
inquisit.version: Inquisit version run
computer.platform: the platform the script was run on (win/mac/ios/android)
computer.touch: 0 = device has no touchscreen capabilities; 1 = device has touchscreen capabilities
computer.hasKeyboard: 0 = no external keyboard detected; 1 = external keyboard detected
startdate: date script was run
starttime: time script was started
subjectid: assigned subject id number
groupid: assigned group id number
sessionid: assigned session id number
elapsedtime: time it took to run script (in ms); measured from onset to offset of script
completed: 0 = script was not completed (prematurely aborted);
1 = script was completed (all conditions run)
nfcs15: Total Score, sum of all scores, Range: 15-90
Notes: Scores up to 30 mean low NFC. Scores between 75-90 mean high NFC.
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EDITABLE CODE
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//language-dependent
/ instructions = `` the presented instructions
/ nextLabel = "Continue" navigation button label to go to the next survey page
/ backLabel = "Back" navigation button label to return to the previous survey page
/ finishLabel = "Finish" navigation button label for submitting the last survey page