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COGNITIVE COMPETENCE, SCIENTIFIC THINKING, APPROACH TO STUDYING AS THE PREDICTORS OF THE CRITICAL PSYCHOLOGICAL THINKING IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Margita Mesarosova, Miriam Slavkovska, Jozef Bavolar

Abstract

The aim of study was to find predictors of psychological critical thinking in university students. We have hypothesed that the main factors which could predict the level of critical psychological thinking will be cognitive competence, scientific thinking, learning approach, and academic achievement. As methods of data gathering were used the self-referencing techniques (Lawson’s test of psychological critical thinking, Magno’s scientific thinking inventory, Approaches to Studying Inventory developed by Tait, Entwistle, & McCune) and objective test (Blinkhorn’s Graduate and Managerial Assessment, verbal subtest). The participants were recruited from the psychology departments of two universities in East Slovakia (N = 156; 75 % were students of psychology, 25 % students of English language, 8,5 % were male; average age: 23,2 years). The statistical analysis conducted by Statistica yielded results confirming that the most strong predictors of psychological critical thinking were the cognitive competence, strategic learning approach, as well as the academic achievement. The significant differences have been revealed in the level of critical thinking due to the year of study. The educational and consulting implications were also discussed in the study.

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