The Factorial Validity of the Cornell Critical Thinking Tests: A Multi-Analytic Approach

• In Event: 67.063 - Advancements and Applications in Test Validity Research and Evaluation

Abstract

This study compared the performance of three factor analytic procedures to examine the factorial validity of the Cornell Critical Thinking Tests-Level X, a 71-item measure of critical thinking for students in grades 4-14. Data were based on 2,265 elementary students in the Midwestern United States in a randomized control trial. Compared procedures included: exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM). ESEM yielded a factor solution that demonstrated measurement invariance across samples to guide scale revision and validation decisions, whereas EFA and CFA procedures resulted in substantial item reduction and fewer interpretable factors. Implications to the selection and performance of factor analytic procedures for dimensionality assessment of non-simple structure data are discussed.

Authors

• Stephen M Leach, Jefferson County Public Schools

• Jason C. Immekus, University of Louisville

• Brian F. French, Washington State University

• Brian Hand, University of Iowa