The Open and Closed Mind

Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal ®

This study examined the relationship between general conservatism and components of intelligence in a White South African student sample. The results indicated no significant difference for full-scale IQ as measured by the South African Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) between subjects who achieved higher or lower scores on the conservatism variables. However, those subjects who had more conservative scores on measures of sociopolitical attitudes and traditionalism achieved higher scores on the block design and digit symbols subtests of the scale. A similar pattern emerged for performance IQ, with those with more conservative scores on the measure of traditionalism achieving higher scores than the less conservative subjects. In addition, disordinal interactions emerged when the relationship between the significant variables underlying conservatism and scores on the South African WAIS was examined.

Intelligence as a Function of Conservatism among White South African Students.

The relationship between attitudes and intelligence in a sample of white South African teacher trainees was examined. The results indicate that Afrikaans speakers were significantly higher than English speakers on most factors of conservatism and religiosity. The attitudinal patterns of the more conservative Afrikaans speakers were different from the attitudinal patterns of the more liberal English speakers. No conclusions could be reached, however, regarding the connection between attitudes and intelligence. Language was found to mediate conservative attitudes, and these attitudes, and not language, were the critical variables interrelated with intelligence.

The Relationship Between Intelligence and Attitudes in a Bilingual Society: The Case of White South Africa

A COblPAR/vTIVE STUDY OF CRITICAL THIICKINC SKILLS, DO^YAI' AND AMERICAN COLLEGE TESTING PROGRAM SCORES ' 7 SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST COLLEGE FRESH'-TEN GRADUATED FROM CHURCH RELATED .AND PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS by Elizabeth M. Wilkins Chairperson: Robert A. Williams Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ABSTRACT OF GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH DissertationOF GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH Dissertation Andrews University Department of Education Title: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS, DOGMATISM, AND ANfF.RICAN COLLEGE TESTING PROGRAM SCORES OF SEVENTH-DAY •ADVENTIST COLLEGE FRESH>!EN GRADUATED FROM CHURCH RELATED AND PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS Name of researcher: Elizabeth M. Wilkins Name and title of faculty adviser: Robert A. Williams, Ph.D. Date completed: March 1979 Problem Development of critical thinking skills is commonly accepted as a desirable outcome of secondary education. The Seventh-day Adventist Church has also accepted this as one of the goals for its educational system. It was the purpose of the present study to com­ pare critical thinking skills developed in Seventh-day Adventist young people in Seventh-day Adventist boarding academies. Seventhday Adventist day academies, and public high schools. Since earlier studies have shown critical thinking to be negatively correlated with dogmatism and positively correlated with intelligence, both Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 3 dogmatism and intelligence were included as variables in the study.

/pdf/a-comparative-study-of-critical-thinking-skills-dogmatism-3wsmmeoaye.pdf

A Comparative Study of Critical Thinking Skills, Dogmatism and American College Testing Program Scores of Seventh-day Adventist College Freshmen Graduated from Church Related and Public Secondary Schools

Since authoritarianism was found to correlate negatively with intelligence (Jacobson & Rettig, 1959), workers have sought the relationship of authoritarianism/dogmatism to other cognitive functions. Significant negative correlations have been found between authorirarianism/dogrnatism and success in deferring judgments (seflective thinking) and solving multi-factor problems (Kemp, 1960; Long & Ziller, 1965). Restle, Andrews, and Rokeach (1964) confirmed superior oddity-problem ability (identifying the odd member of three stimuli) for open-minded Ss. Mouw (1969) found open-minded Ss better than close-minded Ss at solving more complex or more autonomous tasks. Mouw's findings supported Rokeach's notion (1960) that close-minded Ss tend to rely more on authority for direction and support than do open-minded Ss. A more thorough examination of the relationship between the critical thinking-analytic aspect and authoritarianism appears warranted. In August, 1969, as part of a continuing investigation into the interaction of authoritarianism, political preference, and cognitive functioning, 128 high school students responded to the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal Form YM (W-G) and a 28item version of the California F scale. Recent evidence (Altemeyer, 1969) supports the reliability of the F scale; but ar a precaution item reversal was employed. The W-G yields a total score plus sub-scores of Inference ( I ) , Recognition of Assumptions (RA), Deduction ( D ) , Interpretation (of Arguments) ( IA) , and Evaluation of Arguments (EA) . 120 Ss adequately completed instruments. Raw total and sub-scores were converted to deviation scores with M = 50 and u = 10; then Pearson ss were computed between authoritarianism and W-G scores and sub-scores. A negatlve p. of m.322 ( p < .01) was found between authoritarianism and total W-G scores Pearsonian rs with W-G sub-scores were: I, -.I91 ( p < .05); RA, -.063; D, -.221 (# < .O5); IA, -.315 ( p < .01); and EA, -.I82 ( p < .05), It appears that authoritarianism most affects skill at Interpretation of Arguments (determining whether conclusions logically follow from given information) and least affects the ability to recognize assumptions inherent in predictive or prescriptive statemem.

James I. Luck

Papers

Note on Authoritarianism and Critical Thinking Ability