Abstract

Educators have raised concerns about a diminishing interest among students in university life, emphasizing the pivotal role of interest in facilitating students’ engagement and adaptation to the academic environment. Conversely, a lack of interest and motivation is associated with adverse outcomes. While existing research has predominantly explored the relationship between interest and other variables, a notable gap exists, particularly in understanding its connection with the Need for Cognition (NfC). This study seeks to address this gap by investigating the levels of academic interest (AcI) and Need for Cognition (NfC), with a specific focus on the predictive power of NfC in AcI. The study involved 433 university students (201 males, 232 females) who completed the Academic Interest Scale (AcIS) and the Need for Cognition Scale (NfCS). The results indicated heightened levels of AcI, a moderate NfC, and a positive, statistically significant relationship between NfC and all dimensions of AcI. Regression analysis further revealed that the NfC accounted for 35.8 percent of the variance in AcI.