Need for cognitive closure is associated with different intra-network functional connectivity patterns: A resting state EEG study

ABSTRACT

Need for Cognitive Closure (NCC) is a construct referring to the desire for predictability, unambiguity and firm answers to issues. Neuroscientific literature about NCC processes has mainly focused on task-related brain activity. According to the Triple Network model (TN), the main aim of the current study was to investigate resting state (RS) electroencephalographic (EEG) intra-network dynamics associated with NCC. Fifty-two young adults (39 females) were enrolled and underwent EEG recordings during RS. Functional connectivity analysis was computed through exact Low-Resolution Electromagnetic Tomography (eLORETA) software. Our results showed that higher levels of NCC were associated with both i) decreased alpha EEG connectivity within the Central Executive Network (CEN), and ii) increased delta connectivity within the Default Mode Network (DMN). No significant correlations were observed between NCC and functional connectivity in the Salience Network (SN). Our data would seem to suggest that high levels of NCC are characterized by a specific communication pattern within the CEN and the DMN during RS. These neurophysiological patterns might reflect several typical NCC-related cognitive characteristics (e.g., lower flexibility and preference for habitual and rigid response schemas).

KEYWORDS:

• Need for cognitive closure
• default mode network
• central executive network
• salience network
• EEG functional connectivity
• epistemic motivation

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Statement of ethics

All participants provided their written informed consent after having received information about the experiment. The research project was developed according to the Helsinki declaration standards and was approved by the European University’s ethics review board (Prot. N.008/19).

Author contributions

C.M.: study design, data acquisition, data interpretation, writing—original draft.

A.P.: study design, formal analysis, data interpretation, writing—original draft.

G.A.C: study design, data acquisition, data interpretation, writing—original draft.

B.F.: study design, supervision, data interpretation, writing—review & editing.

G.D.M.: study design, supervision, data interpretation, writing—review & editing.

C.I.: study design, formal analysis, data interpretation, writing—original draft.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.