2010 Volume 33 Issue 4 Pages 441-448
In this study, we developed and evaluated a critical thinking ability test in Japanese based on the Cornell critical thinking test level Z (Ennis et al., 1985). The first step involved the translation of the original test into Japanese. Subsequently, we assessed the internal consistency and difficulty level of the translated version of the test. Finally, we also assessed the relationship of the translated version of the instrument with a critical thinking disposition scale and with the Kyodai SX instrument, which includes a verbal and a nonverbal intelligence scales. Forty-three students completed the Japanese version of the critical thinking ability test, the critical thinking disposition scale, and the intelligence scales of the Kyodai SX test. Results confirmed that the internal consistency and the difficulty level of the Japanese critical thinking ability test were appropriate. Moreover, the scores in the Japanese critical thinking ability test were positively correlated with scores in the verbal intelligence scale of the Kyodai SX test but presented no correlation with the scores in the nonverbal intelligence scale of the test or with the critical thinking disposition scale. These results suggest that these two components of critical thinking (i.e., ability and disposition) are independent of each other.
