Critical Thinking In Psychology Research Articles

Busting Myths to Increase Critical Thinking in Psychology Majors

Background: Increasing students’ ability to think critically allows them to engage more fully with psychology material. Objective: The current study used a critical thinking assignment called PsychBusters to examine critical thinking and interest in psychology in two sections of introductory psychology designated for first-year psychology majors. Method: The experimental section completed two PsychBusters presentations including a poster presentation. The control course section also completed poster presentations but did not do the PsychBusters assignment. For both sections, critical thinking skills and levels of interest in psychology were measured at the start and end of the semester. Results: Students in both sections maintained a high interest in psychology across the semester. The section that worked on the PsychBusters misconception assignment had similar critical thinking skills as the control at the start of the semester but had higher scores at the posttest. Conclusion: Assignments that direct students to focus on critical thinking may not improve one's interest in psychology. However, class assignments that hone critical thinking skills should be integrated into psychology courses with the aim of improving students’ reasoning. Teaching Implications: The development of critical thinking skills in psychology majors should start early in the curriculum.

Fostering Creativity and Critical Thinking in College: A Cross-Cultural Investigation.

Enhancing creativity and critical thinking have garnered the attention of educators and researchers for decades. They have been highlighted as essential skills for the 21st century. A total of 103 United States students (53 female, 24 male, two non-binary, and 24 non-reporting) and 166 Chinese students (128 female, 30 male, one non-binary, and seven non-reporting) completed an online survey. The survey includes the STEAM-related creative problem solving, Sternberg scientific reasoning tasks, psychological critical thinking (PCT) exam, California critical thinking (CCT) skills test, and college experience survey, as well as a demographic questionnaire. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) yields a two-factor model for all creativity and critical thinking measurements. Yet, the two latent factors are strongly associated with each other (r=0.84). Moreover, Chinese students outperform American students in measures of critical thinking, whereas Americans outperform Chinese students in measures of creativity. Lastly, the results also demonstrate that having some college research experience (such as taking research method courses) could positively influence both United States and Chinese students’ creativity and critical thinking skills. Implications are discussed.

Methodological Thinking Drills: A Novel Technique for Boosting Real-World Methodological Thinking Ability

Multiple studies have demonstrated the efficacy of various psychological critical thinking interventions. The current study tests a novel technique for improving introductory psychology students’ ability to identify and evaluate methodological concepts in real-life media by prompting them to analyze secondary source news and blog articles. Participants randomly assigned to the experimental group completed three separate methodological thinking drills (MTDs), whereas control participants completed two reflection activities followed by a single MTD. Evidence for the effectiveness of the MTD intervention was found with respect to the within-group comparisons in the experimental condition and also the between-group comparison, indicating linear improvements in scores over time and across groups. These results suggest that methodological thinking can be taught and assessed simultaneously using a single, internally valid procedure.

50 Differences That Make a Difference: A Compendium of Frequently Confused Term Pairs in Psychology

An adequate understanding of specialized terminology is a prerequisite for the mastery of core concepts across all scientific disciplines, including psychological science. In a previous article in this journal (Lilienfeld, Sauvigne, Lynn, Cautin, Latzman, & Waldman, 2015), we presented an annotated list of 50 widely used psychological terms that should generally be avoided, or at best used judiciously and with qualifications in select cases. Herein, we offer a “sequel” by presenting a list of 50 term pairs in psychology and allied fields (e.g., psychiatry, cultural anthropology, statistics) that are commonly confused in academic writing, popular writing, or both. We draw these terms from multiple domains of psychology, including Sensation, Perception, Learning, and Memory; Social and Cultural Bases of Behavior; Personality Psychology; Psychopathology; and Research Methodology and Statistics. Many of these terms are frequently confused not merely by beginning psychology students, but also by advanced psychology students, psychology instructors, and science journalists. Our list of commonly confused psychological term pairs should hopefully be a modest contribution toward enhancing psychological literacy as well as critical thinking in psychology more broadly.

Measuring Psychological Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is widely considered an important skill for psychology majors. However, few measures exist of the types of critical thinking that are specific to psychology majors. Lawson (1999) designed the Psychological Critical Thinking Exam (PCTE) to measure students’ ability to “think critically, or evaluate claims, in a way that explicitly incorporates basic principles of psychological science” (p. 207). However, Lawson’s goal was not to present the PCTE as a standardized measure that was ready for use by other departments. We developed an updated version of the PCTE for broader use and investigated its reliability and validity. Results showed very good split-half and test–retest reliability. As expected, senior psychology majors scored significantly higher on the PCTE than junior psychology majors, senior biology majors, senior art majors, and introductory psychology students.

Theories as maps: Teaching psychology beyond mind and behavior.

It is a challenge for psychology education to teach students about the possibilities and limitations of psychological theories. In the present article, we attempt to meet this challenge by employing the metaphorical expression “theories-are-maps” as a didactic tool for exploring the dynamics between psychology as a scientific project and the nature of the phenomena observed. Using mental illness as an example, we use the map metaphor to discuss the various difficulties involved in teaching theories in psychology, in such terms as the risk of confusing maps and terrain. While using theories-are-maps as a tool does add complexity to psychology education, it also helps illustrate how the relationship between theory and the “reality” that theoretical devices are describing can be envisaged. We see this as a contribution to the discussion on critical thinking in psychology, particularly in the teaching of psychology.

Critical Analysis

This study compared changes in psychology and philosophy classes in two distinct components of critical thinking (CT): general skills and personal beliefs. Participants were 128 undergraduates enrolled in CT in psychology, other psychology courses, or philosophy courses. CT and philosophy students significantly reduced beliefs in paranormal phenomena at the end of the semester compared to other psychology students. Only philosophy students improved on the Watson–Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal. The Watson–Glaser may not fully measure CT emphasized in psychology, but psychology instructors can still effectively teach students to examine their own beliefs and think differently in their daily lives. Differentiated assessment of CT is important as instructors evaluate student learning against specific goals.

In Search of Critical Thinking in Psychology: An Exploration of Student and Lecturer Understandings in Higher Education

This qualitative study of understandings of critical thinking in higher education aimed to identify themes that could help to demystify critical thinking and inform its more explicit incorporation in the psychology curriculum. Data collected from focus groups with 26 undergraduate psychology students and individual semistructured interviews with 4 psychology lecturers were examined using thematic analysis. The same key themes were identified from both student and lecturer data: ‘vague beginnings’, ‘conceptualizations’, ‘development and transitions’, and ‘learning strategies’. Both students and lecturers described critical thinking as implicit knowledge that develops through social interactions. The findings indicate the importance of explicit discussion about critical thinking, and could be used to inform the design and delivery of instructional methods to promote critical thinking.

Improving psychological critical thinking in Australian university students

This study tested the psychological critical thinking attributes of students undertaking an Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) approved course. It also assessed an instructional based teaching practice designed to improve psychological critical thinking skills. The participants were 84 second year and 60 fourth year psychology students enrolled at the University of Western Sydney, Australia. Participants were tested at the beginning and end of the semester with the Psychological Critical Thinking Exam (PCTE) (Lawson, 1999) and only the second year group received specific critical thinking instructions. The results revealed a significant (p < .001) increase in mean PCTE score for the second year group, but no significant increase for the fourth year group. These results confirm the value of the instructional based teaching practice and support the graduate attributes expected by the APAC.

Radical philosophical critique and critical thinking in psychology.

York UniversityIntroducing the concept of tradition and its importance for critical-intellectual devel-opment, traditions of radical philosophy and psychology are presented. Emphasizingthe role of Marxist and post-Marxist thought in various critical approaches, criticalprograms are presented as theoretical endeavors that share the critique of ideology.These approaches examine knowledge production and knowledge biases in the sciencesand psychology from the perspective of social categories or in terms of power. It issuggested that critical thinking in psychology could beneÞt from incorporating cate-gories from this tradition. Consequences for critical thinking in psychology arediscussed.Keywords:

Advancing Disciplinary Practice through Critical Thinking: A Rejoinder to Bensley

The authors respond to Bensley's (2009) comment on their alternative formulation of critical thinking in psychology. They argue that Bensley's defense of the traditional critical thinking approach—which they term scientific analytic reasoning (SAR)—fails to address their main objections to SAR and their reasons for presenting an alternative. In particular, the openness, fairness, and generativity that Bensley references as strengths of SAR are themselves informed by scientific analytic assumptions and values, which, they argue, illustrates their original contention—that SAR offers an insular and insufficiently critical approach to critical thinking. The authors conclude by calling for future developments in critical thinking that are not driven by an implicit SAR agenda.

Reviews: Teaching Critical Thinking in Psychology: A Handbook of Best Practices, A Guide to Teaching Statistics: Innovations and Best Practices, A Guide to Teaching Introductory Psychology, Psychology in Everyday Life, Psychology, The Psychology Thesis, Key Concepts in Health Psychology

Reviews: Teaching Critical Thinking in Psychology: A Handbook of Best Practices, A Guide to Teaching Statistics: Innovations and Best Practices, A Guide to Teaching Introductory Psychology, Psychology in Everyday Life, Psychology, The Psychology Thesis, Key Concepts in Health Psychology

Critical Thinking as Disciplinary Practice

Critical thinking in psychology has traditionally focused on method-centered tasks such as the assessment of method use, data analysis, and research evidence. Although helpful in some ways, this form of critical thinking fails to provide resources for critically examining the scientific analytic foundation on which it rests and, when used exclusively, prohibits sufficiently critical analysis of theory and research. An alternative view of critical thinking—that emphasizes the identification and evaluation of implicit theoretical assumptions—is advocated. It is suggested that this alternative approach improves on method-centered approaches by addressing not only implicit assumptions but also rule-following concerns. This approach is intended to facilitate innovation and the production of scholarly work in ways that incorporate relational values such as dialogue, care, and respect. Finally, this alternative form of critical thinking is described as a theoretically situated, open, and evolving conception of critique that should itself be continually reanalyzed and refined, particularly in response to the evolving nature and needs of the field.

Critical thinking in psychology

Critical thinking in psychology

A Course Designed to Improve Psychological Critical Thinking

We developed a 1-credit freshman-level course designed to enhance psychological critical thinking. We based the new curriculum on Stanovich's (2004) text, with an emphasis on active learning and critically evaluating claims by applying scientific concepts. To assess the effectiveness of this course, we used a pretest–posttest design with a quasi-experimental control group. At posttest, students in the psychological science course showed greater improvement on psychological critical thinking than students in a comparison group. Therefore, we recommend the techniques used in this instructional intervention to help college students improve their critical thinking skills.

Psychological Versus Generic Critical Thinking as Predictors and Outcome Measures in a Large Undergraduate Human Development Course

This study examines the differential status of psychological critical thinking and generic critical thinking as predictors of test performance and as outcome measures in a large human development course. Psychological critical thinking proved to be the better predictor of test performance and more responsive to instructional procedures in the course.

Psychological Critical Thinking as a Course Predictor and Outcome Variable

Students' scores on a psychological critical thinking instrument administered at the beginning and end of a large human development course significantly correlated with multiple-choice exam scores, with the posttest critical thinking scores being the better predictor of exam performance. The sample as a whole gained significantly on critical thinking, but students with high and low exam scores differed in their patterns of change on critical thinking. Students who scored high (As and B+s) on the exams significantly improved their critical thinking scores, whereas students who scored low (Ds and Fs) on the exams did not. An explicit practice and feedback procedure implemented through an existing course activity presumably contributed to gains in critical thinking.

Faculty Forum

Psychological critical thinking involves evaluating claims using the basic principles of psychological science. Because it is such an important skill, psychological critical thinking should be evaluated as part of an overall outcomes assessment for psychology majors. I describe the procedure my institution uses for assessing psychological critical thinking, and I provide evidence that senior psychology majors score higher on our critical thinking test than do either introductory psychology students or seniors majoring in chemistry or biology.

How to Think Like a Psychologist: Critical Thinking in Psychology.

How to Think Like a Psychologist: Critical Thinking in Psychology.

Demystifying Critical Thinking

Critical-thinking scholarship is in a mystified state. No single definition of critical thinking is widely accepted, but stakeholders in higher education often enter conversation about critical thinking with the premise that their individual definitions are uniformly shared. With an increasing emphasis on academic accountability, we need to work toward a better understanding of the varying ways the term critical thinking is used and explore the implications of the variation for effective pedagogy. In this article, I describe the confusion about critical thinking in psychology and offer suggestions for demystifying the concept. I provide a framework for organizing critical-thinking scholarship into meaningful dimensions. Finally, I describe a psychology curriculum using performance-based assessment practices as one context in which critical thinking in psychology can be made clearer for students and faculty.