Two levels of development of the need for cognition have been revealed by means of a method used for the study of actualized motives (the method is a modification of Nuttin's motivation induction procedure). At the first level one is satisfied with broad knowledge, here the problem-solving and acquisition of social experience require only elements of creativity. At the second level the knowledge is deep; it is characterized by independent setting and solving of problems, independent search for general regularities, as well as by systematization of the acquired data and formulation of objectively new concepts. Here the need for cognition gets intensified and turns into a preffered activity which results in modification of the general motivational structure. A conclusion is made that one level of the need's development is centered around acquisition of ready knowledge, while the other can be related to the need for elaboration of new knowledge.