Need for cognition and training reaction: The mediating role of learning motivation

Aim: This study was conducted to investigate the relationship of need for cognition and training reaction while considering the mediating role of learning motivation. Methods: The design of the research was correlational and Statistical population consisted total of trainees of the entrepreneurship center of the University of Isfahan. The sample was selected by applying cluster random sampling and was consisted 164 people of these trainees that were measured in tow-phases (pretraining and posttraining). Used questionnaires of the research were Cacioppo, Petty and Kao's scale of need for cognition (1984), and Noe and Wilk's learning motivation questionnaire (1993) and researcher-made training reaction. The indirect effects were tested using the Bootstrap procedure in Preacher and Hayes's macro program (2004). Results: Results demonstrated that between the need for cognition, learning motivation, training reaction and its three-dimension (reaction to training content, reaction to trainer and reaction to course plan) there are significant positive relationships. Furthermore, learning motivation mediated the relationship between need for cognition and training reaction and its dimensions, too. Discussion: With attention to the findings of this research, we recommend to responsible of training that pay specific attention to need for cognition and learning motivation, and improve these two variables in training programs.