The Effects of Viewpoint Diversity and Racial Diversity on Need for Cognition

Need for cognition is the enjoyment of and motivation to think, solve problems, and actively use one's mind, characteristics that are vital to learning. Diversity has been associated with many learning outcomes, yet critics of diversity claim that viewpoint diversity—not racial diversity—is sufficient for learning; therefore, I explored the effects of viewpoint diversity and racial diversity experiences on students' need for cognition in the first year of college. The findings counter the diversity critics' claims, as well as suggest that different diversity experiences affect need for cognition depending on one's race.