Critical Thinking Ability and Disposition as Factors of Performance on a Written Critical Thinking Test.

Abstract

Critical thinking has been conceptualized as a two-factor system in which critical thinking ability and critical thinking disposition combine to determine actual thinking performance (Ennis, 1985, 1991; Siegel, 1988). The present study used confirmatory factor analysis to investigate such a two-factor model empirically. One hundred ninety-eight Purdue University undergraduates completed the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal, the Ennis-Weir Critical Thinking Essay Test, the Need For Cognition Scale (NCS), the AT-20 ambiguity tolerance scale, and the Checklist of Educational Views (CLEV). The students' grade-point averages (GPAs) and Scholastic Aptitude Test Verbal (SAT-V) and Math (SAT-M) scores were also collected. The NCS, AT-20, and CLEV served as measures of disposition; Watson-Glaser, SAT-M, and SAT-V served as measures of thinking ability; and Ennis-Weir and GPA were believed to measure both ability and disposition. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the postulated two-factor model is plausible and that Ennis-Weir, but not GPA, loads significantly on both factors.

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