A review of the critical thinking literature reveals that there is growing interest in developing instructional strategies to develop students' critical thinking skills and dispositions. This paper reviews the research literature regarding the nature of critical thinking in the following areas: (1) differences in the conceptualization of critical…

Debate paradigms, which at one time established standards to help judges evaluate arguments and rules to guide debaters' argument choice and strategy selection, no longer offer consistent guidance for either judges or debaters. An increased emphasis on creativity and flexibility has led to a general unwillingness to use a rigid debate format. The…

This paper develops some generalizations about uses of political scientists and political science in government. Information is based on essays written by political scientists which appear in the "Political Science Utilization Directory." Developed by the Policy Studies Organization, this publication includes largely verbatim survey results…

This paper begins by presenting three tests, which are included in the appendix, of one's awareness of physical risks. This exercise leads to a discussion of the differences between actual and perceived risk, why people participate in outdoor activities, and the inaccurate perception of actual risks. Complicating the issue of accurately perceiving…

The present study assessed high school and college faculty members perceptions of students who smoke and students who do not smoke. Respondents included 37 college faculty members and 35 high school faculty members. Respondents completed a one-page survey consisting of items pertaining to current and previous personal smoking habits, motivations…

Discusses the concept of reflective practice developed by Donald Schon in 1983. Presents the questions explored in the five articles contained in this issue. Introduces each article and discusses the topics and recommendations provided by each article. (JS)

Proposes three framing assumptions for the study of thinking, involving situated cognition, personal and social epistemologies, and conceptual competence. Outlines evidence consistent with these assumptions, and discusses topics in the psychology of thinking in relation to the assumptions. (Author/BJV)

A recent conference on statistics education recommended that more emphasis be placed on the interpretation of research (IOR). Ways for developing and assessing IOR and providing a systematic framework for creating and selecting instructional materials for the independent assessment of specific IOR concepts are the focus of this paper. The…

A conceptual framework is developed to consider two dimensions of evaluation systems likely to lead performers to internalize the evaluation process. The theory of evaluation and authority developed by Dornbusch and Scott provides the basis for a review of six studies in support of two propositions: (1) the more frequently performers are…

Many of the recent appeals for educational improvement place great reliance on standardized tests as instruments of reform. The appropriateness and interpretation of these tests remain unresolved issues. Concepts of cognitive psychology should be integrated into the development of intelligence and achievement tests. (Author/VM)

Presents results of five experiments on human information-seeking behavior in different online information-seeking environments which studied search strategies and assessed information value in realistic search environments. A conceptual model of how humans value information is presented. Empirical and modeling results are considered for…

Outdoor leaders with sound judgment can gather many specific experiences, induce them into a collection of general concepts, store these as memory maps in the mind, later recall the general concepts as needed, and deduce a specific prediction from them. Proposes that evaluative reflection after a judgment is made is the component missing from most…

The evolution and design of a videodisk recording for classroom use in teaching aesthetics at the college level are described. The program presents an internationally notorious case study in art forgery. It facilitates three crucial tasks in visual art study: access to art and related information; detail; and analysis. (MSE)

Introduces the growing body of research on development of scientific reasoning skills, focusing on reasoning and problem-solving strategies used in experimentation and evidence evaluation. Maintains that current research examines strategy development and use in moderately complex domains to examine conditions under which subjects' theories…

In a recent controversial article, "Feeling and Thinking: Preferences Need No Inferences" (l980), R. B. Zajonc argues in support of the independence of affect and cognition. Examination of the structure and assumptions of Zajonc's arguments suggests that they do not support the view that affect is non-cognitive. Zajonc appears to leap…