Cognitive Skills

This paper offers a state-of-the-art working definition for the concept of Critical Thinking (CT hereafter) in an attempt to provide a framework for the development of an operational definition for this complex concept. Having studied various definitions and models, proposed for CT by major figures in the field, the key defining features of this rich concept were identified and classified. Based on these key descriptors, a working definition consisting of three main components namely Mind Analysis , Data Evaluation , and Thinking in Education has been proposed and then each dimension of this definition is defined and elaborated further so that the complexity of the concept could be framed in an extended model. The elaborated conception of CT proposed in this paper seeks to include the core elements of CT so that it can be expandable into an operational definition with measurable items. There are two main reasons for conducting this research: Firstly, CT has evolved into a multifaceted construct with a broad range of cognitive abilities and intellectual dispositions. Secondly, although CT has been recognized as a significant concept in education, its full potential has not been achieved yet.

This research examined the relationship between video games and cognitive skills including critical thinking and creative thinking. This was an analytical and cross-sectional study. The population of the present research consisted of high school students of Ardebil in the academic year 2013-2014. A sample consisting of 105 students, (54 female and 51 male), was selected using multi-stage cluster sampling. They filled out two questionnaires, namely the California Critical Thinking Skill Test (CCTST) and Critical Thinking Test (CT). The data collected from the questionnaires were analyzed by SPSS through one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) as well as the Scheffe test. To conduct the analysis, the participants were divided into four groups based on the number of hours spent playing video games every day, namely no gaming, less than 1 hour, between 1-2 hours, and more than 2 hours of gaming; they were also divided into four groups based on the number of years they had been playing video games, namely no gaming, less than a year, 1-2 years, and more than 2 years. The results of the one-way ANOVA revealed significant differences in creativity between the four groups based on the hours spent playing and the number of years the subjects had been playing video games (P<0.05). The differences between the four groups in terms of critical thinking were also significant (P<0.05). The findings indicated that the individuals spending up to two hours playing video games on a daily basis had higher levels of creativity and critical thinking compared to non-gamers.