GOAL-ORIENTED CRITICAL REASONING AND INDIVIDUAL-DIFFERENCES IN CRITICAL REASONING BIASES

In 4 experiments, the relationships among critical reasoning, personal goals, general intellectual ability, and information-processing style were explored. Three critical reasoning competencies were investigate d: the law of large numbers, the intuitive analysis of covariance, and the ability to detect flaws in experimental designs. Participants wer e presented problems that involved goal-enhancing, goal-neutral, and g oal-threatening evidence. There were 2 main findings: (a) Although gen eral ability predicted 2 components of critical reasoning, biases in r easoning were better predicted by information processing style (i.e., rational vs. intuitive). (b) Reasoning on the goal-enhancing and neutr al problems was less sophisticated than reasoning on threatening probl ems. Depth of processing seems to be a primary mechanism underlying mo tivated reasoning. In addition, information processing style is an ind ividual difference variable that moderates the extent of reasoning bia ses. Similar results were obtained across different forms of critical thinking.