The Mediating Role of Tolerance of Ambiguity in the Relationship between Need for Cognition and Need for Closure with Working Memory

The aim of this research was to investigate the mediating role of tolerance of ambiguity in the relationship between the need for cognition and the need for closure with working memory. In regard to the purpose, this research was applicable and in regard to procedure, it was a correlation study. The study community included all high school students of Tehran City in 2019-2020, among them 385 students were selected as samples by multi-stage cluster sampling. Research questionnaires included: working memory (WMQ- 2013), the need for cognition (NCS- 1996), the need for closure (NFCS- 2008), and ambiguity tolerance (MSTAT- 1993). Structural equation analysis was used to analyze the data. Findings showed that the need for cognition has a significant effect on working memory(P<0.001), the tolerance of ambiguity has a significant effect on working memory (P<0.001), whereas the need for structure (P<0. 1) and need for certainty (P<0. 08)  has no such impact. Also, the results revealed that the need for cognition and the need for closure have an indirect effect on working memory through the mediation of ambiguity tolerance(P<0.001). Thus, interventions based on improving the need for cognition, the need for closure, and tolerance of ambiguity can help increase students' working memory capacity.