Convergent validation of the need for Emotional Closure Scale in autobiographical memory: links to rumination, uncertainty, and involuntary thoughts in a Polish sample.

Abstract

Emotional closure refers to the subjective sense that a personally significant past event has been resolved, allowing it to be integrated into autobiographical memory with reduced emotional disturbance. The Need for Emotional Closure Scale (NECS) was developed to assess individual differences in the motivation to achieve such resolution. Across two studies, we evaluated the psychometric properties and convergent validity of the NECS in a Polish sample. Confirmatory factor analysis supported a four-factor structure, and the scale demonstrated good internal consistency. Convergent validity was examined through associations with rumination, need for cognitive closure (Studies 1 and 2), intolerance of uncertainty (Study 1), and the frequency of involuntary autobiographical memories and future thoughts assessed via both self-report and laboratory paradigms (Study 2). Emotional closure tendencies were positively associated with rumination and intolerance of uncertainty. Although NECS scores were significantly related to self-reported frequency of involuntary mental time travel, no significant associations were observed for laboratory-based measures. Additionally, NECS subscales showed distinct patterns of association with dimensions of need for cognitive closure, supporting their conceptual differentiation. Overall, these findings provide evidence for the validity of the NECS and highlight the role of emotional closure in shaping autobiographical memory and spontaneous mental time travel.