NOTES Inventory of Instruments of Critical Thinking JOHN FOLLMAN, CAROLYN LAVELY & NEAL BERGER University of South Florida Since about 1983 the venerable construct of critical thinking has become an edu- cational juggernaut. See Follman (1987) for an overview of this recent critical thinking activity, and also Follman (1991) for a correlative overview of the re- cent critical reading activity. A main plank in the rationale for enhancing critical thinking of children in general is the finding that 80% of third graders, more than half of seventh grad- ers, and 36% of eleventh graders scored minimally or inadequately when reading critically (Vobejda). More specifically, of36,000 public and private school stu- dents, less than 1% ofthird graders, 8% of seventh graders, and 23% of eleventh graders performed at the highest level on reading performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress. The purpose of this note is to inventory the contemporary critical thinking instruments. These instruments are identified for possible use in psychometric investigations of the nature and definition of the construct of critical thinking and especially for use as dependent variables in studies to determine the efficacy of independent variables purported to enhance people's critical thinking. For compilations of early critical thinking tests see An experiment in the development of critical thinking (Glaser, 1941), Education for effective think- ing(Burton, Kimball & Wing, 1960), and a list of30 instruments (Ness, 1967). More recent compilations of critical thinking tests have been reported by Stewart (1979), Baker (1981), Ennis (1986), Follman (1987), Norris & Ennis (1989), Facione (1989; 1990, 1992), Facione & Facione (1992), among others. Baker (1981) compiled the contemporary critical thinking tests and identi- fied 26, six described as then currently available and 20 as published but not readily available. The six currently available tests were: Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal; Cornell Critical Thinking Test Level Z; Test of Thematic Analysis,' Analysis of Arguments; College Outcomes Measures Project; and © Informal Logic Vol. 18, Nos. 2 & 3 (1997): pp.261-267. 262 Follman, Lavely & Berger COMP-Objective Test (CACTP). The 20 not readily available tests were: Crea- tive Writing on a Social Problem; Charley Brown test with no name; A Test of Critical Thinking in the Social Sciences; A Test of Critical Thinking, Form G; Inventory of Social Understanding 1; Charles Logan unnamed test; Testing of Study Skills and Critical Thinking Section]]; Testing of Study Skills and Criti- cal Thinking Section V; Test of Study Skills and Critical Thinking VI; Testing of Study Skills and Critical Thinking Section Xl]]; Testing of Study Skills and Critical Thinking Section XV; Testing of Study Skills and Critical Thinking Section XVI; Testing of Study Skills and Critical Thinking XV]]; Social Issues Analysis Test 1; Social Issues Analysis Test 2; Social Issues Analysis Test 3; Social Issues Analysis Test 4; David Simon unnamed test; and Interpretation of Data Test. Follman (1987) overviewed the contemporary critical thinking tests, and, in addition to the tests above, identified: The Curry Test of Critical Thinking (Landis & Michael, 1981); The New Jersey Test of Reasoning; The Whimbey Analytical Skills Inventory (Whimbey, 1985, October); a history-social studies with criti- cal thinking skills test (Kneedler, 1986); the Group Assessment of Logical Think- ing (Yeany, Yap & Padilla, 1986); The Ennis- Weir Critical Thinking Essay Test (Ennis, 1986); and state developed tests including one to be administered to fourth graders in Michigan (Ranbom, 1985, March 6), one in New Jersey (Whim bey, 1985, October), and one in Connecticut (Sternberg & Baron, 1985). Baron (1987) compiled six multiple choice and one essay "tests that could be called critical thinking tests, at least in part." Tests not previously mentioned above include BaSIC Skills for Critical Thinking; Cornell Critical Thinking Test, Level X; and Ross Test of Higher Cognitive Processes. A contemporary overlapping inventory of instruments was prepared by Kennedy, Fisher & Ennis (1987). They classified the tests into two types, multi- aspect, and aspect-specific. The multi-aspect tests were: Cornell Critical Think- ing Test Level X; Cornell Critical Thinking Test Level Z; New Jersey Test of Reasoning Skills; Ross Test of Higher Cognitive Processes; Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal; and Ennis-Weir Critical Thinking Essay Test. The aspect-specific tests were: Cornell Class-Reasoning Test, Form X; Cornell Conditional-Reasoning Test, Form X; Logical Reasoning; and Test of Enquiry Skills (Australia). Kennedy et al. considered their list comprehensive. Another more recent Ennis iteration was by Norris & Ennis (1989) which included Judg- ment: Deductive Logic and Assumption Recognition and Test on Appraising Observations as well as those above. One of several more recent critical thinking instruments, The Test on Ap- praising Observations, measures the ability to evaluate statements of observa- tions, was constructed by Norris (1988). The National Center for Research to Improve Postsecondary Teaching and Learning (NCRIPTAL) (1989) identified the Chickering Critical Thinking Behaviors Inventory in which students report Inventory of Instruments of Critical Thinking 263 the percent of time spent on memorizing, interpreting, analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating. NCRIPT AL also identified several open-end measures of think- ing: The Measure of Intellectual Development, a subjective measure of decision making, careers, and classroom learning; The Analysis of Argument; The Ameri- can College Testing Program's College Outcome Measures Program, a test of reasoning; and more importantly the Reflective Judgment Interview (RJI), in which an interviewer asks a student questions about an ethical dilemma presented orally and in writing. The RJI is currently receiving considerable research attention. Another less formal system was developed by the Maryland Center for Thinking Studies (METS) for younger pupils. METS uses taped interviews primarily. Also used are performance assessment matrices, debriefing wheels, think logs, stu- dent journals, parent and studentquestionnaires, classroom observations, teacher diaries, and structured faculty debriefing sessions (Worsham, 1991). Facione (1990) assembled a panel of critical thinking experts to identify criti- cal thinking skills and sub-skills. The panel also identified a number of additional contemporary critical thinking tests including: the Test on Appraising Observa- tions 1983; The American College Testing Program 1988 Collegiate Assess- ment of Academic Proficiency which included a critical thinking measure; the Valettlnventory ofCT Abilities; Test of Cognitive Skills 1981, McGraw Hill; subscores on inference and evaluation and logical evaluation in the Basic Skills Assessment 1977-81 McGraw Hill; Test of Problem Solving 1984 Lingui Sys- tem; Corrective Reading Mastery Test 1980, SRA; Ball Aptitude Battery. Facione also included a useful bibliography of critical thinking assessment references. The Wisconsin Research and Development Center for Cognitive Learning has compiled an inventory of37 measures of cognitive abilities at the intermediate grade level. In order for the reader to have an appreciation of the scientific significance of tests of critical thinking see Follman (l994a) for an exhaustive compilation of critical thinking correlations, some eight pages in excess of 700 coefficients, the nomothetic network of critical thinking research relationships. Also see Follman (1994b) for a companion compilation of correlations of the nomothetic network of the related, but much smaller, literature of the construct of critical reading. Finally, starting on the next page, is a list of critical thinking tests, clienteles, and references. The tests are sorted more or less into tests readily available or tests not readily available. Also, examination of the references herein will indi- cate additional measures of critical thinking which are not included herein prima- rily because ofthe difficulty in obtaining them. 264 Follman, Lavely & Berger CRITICAL THINKING TESTS Tests Readily Available TEST CUENTELE Academic Profile Test (ETS) G 15+ Analysis of Arguments Assessing Higher Order Thinking Skills Basic Skills for Critical Thinking G 9·12 California Critical Thinking Skills Test: Form A College California Critical Thinking Skills Test: Form B College California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory Cognitive and Analytical Skill Test College College Outcomes Measures Project Collegiate Assessment of Academic Proficiency College COMP-Objective Test (ARTP) Cornell Class Reason. Test Form X G4-14 Cornell Condo Reason. Test Form X Cornell Critical Thinking Test Level X ) Cornell Critical Thinking Test Level Z Critical Thinking Skills (HistoryISoc.St.) Curry Test of Critical Thinking Developing Cognitive Abilities Test Ennis-Weir Argumentation Test Ennis-Weir Critical Thinking Essay Test Group Assessment of Logical Thinking Graduate Record Examination Judgment: Oed. Log. & Ass. Recog. Logical Reasoning MAP Critical Thinking Maryland Center for Think. Studies System New Jersey Test of Reasoning Skills Preference for Cognitive Complexity Test PRIDE I (reason critically in social work) Reflective Judgment Interview Ross Test of Higher Cognitive Processes Soloff & Houtz Test of Problem Solving 1984 Test of Thematic Analysis Test on Appraising Observations Valett Inventory of CT Abilities Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appr. Whimbey Analytical Skills Inventory G5-Il G4-14 Adults G8 College G7-16+ GI6+ G7·12 G9+ G 3-5, 6-11 G4·9 G4-16+ College University G9+ G4-College GK-4 G6-12 G7·14 Age 4·5+ G9+ REFERENCE Facione (1989) Baker(1981) Arter & Salmon (1987) Baron (1987) Facione (1992) Facione (1992) Facione & Fac. (1992) Chovan & MeG. (1985) Baker (1981) Pascarella et al. (1994) Baker(1981) Kennedy et al.(1987) Stewart (1979) Baron (1987) Baker(1981) Kneedler (1986) Landis& Michael (1981) Torres & Cano (1995) Facione(1990) Ennis (1986) Yeany, Yap & Padilla Facione(1989) Norris & Ennis (1989) Kennedy et al. (1987) Moss & Koziol (1991) Worsham (1991) Follman (1987, Summer) Chovan &McG. (1985) Gibbs et al. (1995) Stewart (1979) Baron (1987) Follman (in progress,c) Facione(I990) Baker(1981) Norris (1988, Fall) Facione (1990) Baker (1981 ) Whimbey (1985) Inventory o/Instruments o/Critical Thinking 265 Tests Not Readily Available TEST CLIENTELE REFERENCE A Test of Critical Thinking Form G G9+ (author) A Test ofCrit. Think. in the Soc. Sci. Baker (1981) ACTP Collegiate Ass. of Acad. Prof. G13+ Facione (1990) Basic Skills Assessment 1977-81 Adults Facione (1990) Ball Aptitude Battery Facione (I 990) Charles Logan unnamed test Baker(1981) Charley Brown unnamed test Baker(1981) Corrective Reading Mastery Test 1984 (SRA) Facione(1990) Creative Writing on a Social Problem Baker (1981) David Simon unnamed test Baker (1981) Interpretation of Data Test G9-12 Stewart (1979) Inventory of Social Understanding I Baker(1981) Meno Adults Cambridge (1992) Near Transfer Critical Thinking Test Edelman & Hudgins Pearson Hyram Test of CT Stewart (1979) Recognizing Reliable Observations Stewart (1979) Smith-Sturgeon Conditional Reas. G 1-3 Ennis et al. (1969) Social Issues Analysis Test I Baker (1981) Social Issues Analysis Test 2 Baker (1981) Social Issues Analysis Test 3 Baker (1 981 ) Social Issues Analysis Test 4 Baker(1981) Test of Cognitive Skills 1981 G2-12 Facione (1990) Test of Enquiry Skills (Australia) G7-10 Kennedy et al. (1987) Test. of Study Skills & Crit. Th. 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