| This correlational study was conducted to determine which of eight selected variables contributed most strongly to student nurses' ability to think critically. Multiple regression analysis was utilized to examine the intercorrelations between the criterion variable, total score on the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal, and the predictor variables: SAT Verbal score; SAT Quantitative score; grade point average; age; and total number of credit hours in the natural science, behavioral/social sciences, arts and humanities and professional nursing courses required in a four-year baccalaureate nursing program.;From the derivation group of subjects, N = 81, the SAT Quantitative score, total number of credit hours in the arts and humanities and grade point average contributed 38 percent of the variance on critical thinking. Analysis of the cross-validation group, N = 69, revealed that the best set of predictor variables (SAT Quantitative score, total number of credit hours in the arts and humanities and grade point average) accounted for only 11 percent of the variance. The large amount of shrinkage considerably reduced the predictive accuracy of the regression equation.;It was concluded that for the sample in this study, critical thinking abilities are best correlated with variables like academic aptitude, as measured by scholastic achievement tests, academic experience, as measured by number of credit hours completed, and quality of academic performance, as measured by grade point average.;A later multiple regression analysis examined data from the combined undergraduate and incoming freshman group of subjects, N = 190. Of the four predictor variables examined, the SAT Quantitative score contributed the greatest amount of variance, 17 percent; whereas grade point average accounted for 4 percent, age accounted for 3.9 percent and the SAT Verbal score accounted for 2 percent of the variance on the critical thinking scores.;Findings from the initial analysis, N = 150 subjects, indicated that the SAT Quantitative score, total number of credit hours in the arts and humanities and grade point average contributed most strongly to the criterion variable, accounting for 24 percent of the variance. |
