Based on Byrnes’ definition and theory of critical thinking, through the research of approximately 1000 college and adult subjects, the authors have determined the structure of critical thinking of Chinese people and compiled the corresponding scale. In order to verify Byrnes’s theory of critical thinking structure, the authors first interviewed 40 subjects and generated a question bank for measuring critical thinking. Then, a preliminary scale was compiled. Second, an exploratory factor analysis was conducted on the data of 284 college students and the three dimensions of Chinese critical thinking — analytic ability, open-minded to criticism, and effort to use critical thinking, were obtained. Third, the authors conducted a confirmatory factor analysis on the data of 168 subjects, which confirmed the fit of the three-dimensional model. Finally, the data of 586 subjects were analyzed to further prove the reliability and validity of the scale. The result shows that the scale to measure the critical thinking of Chinese people conform to the theoretical constructs of Byrnes and colleagues. This scale has important theoretical and practical significance for future research in related fields.

基于Byrnes关于批判性思维的定义和理论, 通过对近1000多名大学生和成人学生被试的研究, 确定中国人批判性思维的结构, 并编制相应的测量工具。首先, 通过对40名被试的访谈, 建立一个用于衡量批判性思维的题库。然后, 对284名大学生被试的数据进行探索性因素分析, 得到中国人批判性思维的3个维度: 批判性分析技能、对批判的开放性和运用批判性。接下来, 对168名被试的数据进行验证性因素分析, 证实三维模型的理论契合性。最后, 通过对586名被试的数据分析, 进一步验证所编制的中国人批判性思维量表的信度与效度。这一工具的确认表明, 中国人与西方人具有类似的批判性思维, 这一结论对未来相关领域的研究有重要的理论和实践意义。