Abstract:
This study examined the relationship between the Arlin Test of Formal Reasoning (ATFR) and the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal (WGCTA). This study identified the percentage of students at each of the five levels of reasoning according to the ATFR. The students' WGCTA scores were then compared to a normative mean and the percentages of students scoring below, the same as, and above the mean were computed.
The data were obtained from 97 college students (69 women and 28 men) enrolled in introductory psychology courses at a medium-sized midwestern university. The student mean age was 20.20 years with a range of 18 to 41 years. within a three day time period, both the ATFR and the WGCTA were administered to each student.
Results obtained indicated a significant correlation between the ATFR and the WGCTA. Also, ATFR indicated 42% of the students scored at the formal reasoning level, 36% scored at the concrete operational level and 21% scored at the transitional level. When the total WGCTA scores were compared to a normative mean, 66% of the students fell below the mean, 4% were the same, and 30% were above the mean.
It was concluded that colleges need to accommodate students at various cognitive levels. When critical thinking and formal reasoning skills were measured, students' abilities seemed to be consistent. For example, students with high formal reasoning skills also had high critical thinking skills. Students with low formal reasoning skills had low critical thinking skills. Perhaps, the cognitive skills of students are developed at the same rate, and their abilities in all the cognitive areas are similar.
