The multiple perspectives inventory: A measure of perspective-taking

Four studies were conducted to develop a measure of people's capacity to adopt multiple perspectives when making judgments. In Study 1, 20 scale items designed to tap people's propensity to use multiple perspectives when solving problems or making decisions were administered to 1342 participants. The resulting scale was reliable (alpha = .90). Study 2 differentiated the Multiple Perspectives Inventory (MPI) from the need for cognition. Study 3 revealed that the capacity to process and recall information was associated with MPI performance, but not dogmatism. Using the classic Einstellung problem, Study 4 demonstrated that high MPIs were less bound by, more capable of breaking, and less likely to revert to, an induced cognitive set. The implications of this construct and measure for a host of issues in psychology were discussed.