At Insight Assessment we take the measurement of reasoning skills and mindset seriously.
Our assessment instruments are developed by Measured Reasons LLC, an organization that brings together scientists with decades of research experience and measurement tool design expertise. After years of work and validation research, critical thinking skills tests were first published in 1990 and first mindset measures in 1992.
The construct validity of these measures rests on their close alignment with those described in the consensus definition of critical thinking skills and dispositions defined in the APA Delphi Report, and with internationally endorsed terminology for describing human reasoning skills and the mindset attributes of a strong critical thinker.
Predictive validity of these scale constructs for critical thinking skills and mindset, as well as the overall measure of critical thinking skills, is based on an ever increasing body of research conducted with these instruments (peer reviewed research projects, dissertations, individual and group assessments of a wide variety of populations, and meta-analyses documenting the ability of these tools to capture gains as a result of training programs). Many of these projects have been reported in peer reviewed journals.
Measures of reasoning skill and mindset must be calibrated to the developmental level of the individual and the level of decision responsibility that will be expected of the employee or training program graduate. Language comprehension is also important for valid assessment. It is for this reason that the products offered range in level by age, educational level and workplace role, and language. Ongoing instrument development assures that instruments remain relevant and engaging to the test taker. New instruments are continually being developed to increase the ability of the client to select a measure that is best fit to the individual or group that will be assessed.
As indicated in the user manuals for each of the instruments, construct and predictive validity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability meet the highest measurement tool standards.
Each assessment instrument has been reviewed by consultants from the targeted business or educational sector, by researchers, educators, trainers, and working professionals to assure relevance, quality, and cultural fit with the intended test taker group.
Actual items that appear in assessment instruments are protected, but examples of item formats can be seen and the testing environment can be experienced by downloading our app, Critical Thinking Insight.
Sample items can also be viewed through these links: