The generalizability of critical thinking: paranormal beliefs versus statistical reasoning.

Two studies were conducted to examine the generalizability of general critical thinking ability in university undergraduates. The first study explored the relationship between subjects' performance on the Cornell Critical Thinking Test and level of belief in paranormal phenomena, and the second stu...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Publicado en:Journal of Genetic Psychology Vol. 156; pp. 477 - 489
Autor principal: Royalty, Joel
Formato: Artículo
Publicado: Taylor & Francis Ltd December 1995
Materias:
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
Descripción
Sumario:Two studies were conducted to examine the generalizability of general critical thinking ability in university undergraduates. The first study explored the relationship between subjects' performance on the Cornell Critical Thinking Test and level of belief in paranormal phenomena, and the second study investigated the relationship between the Cornell test scores and statistical reasoning in novices. Results revealed that Cornell test scores explained a significant amount of the variability in statistical reasoning but not in level of belief in the paranormal. Although the level of purported paranormal experience was not connected to either Cornell test score or intelligence, it was a significant predictor of paranormal belief. These findings suggest that although the evaluation of paranormal claims is amenable to critical thinking, it is more inclined to be characterized by “axiological” approaches.