Analysis of the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the HCTAES- Halpern Critical Thinking Test Using Everyday Situations (english version)

Resumen

The present study analyses the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of
Halpern’s Critical Thinking Test Using Everyday Situations. For the assessment of this type
of thinking, it uses familiar situations with a double response format: open and closed. The
test was applied to 335 Spanish students: 238 University students from the 3rd and 4th years
of the degree course and 52 high school students. We analysed the reliability of the test and
performed an exploratory factor analysis to assess its construct validity. The results suggest
that the Spanish version of the test is a trustworthy instrument for assessing critical thinking.
However, its factor structure is not strongly related to the theoretical structure of the test. Our
results, rather than weakening the construct validity of the test, reflect the strong
interrelationship among the different skills of critical thinking.