|
The
Reasoning About Current Issues (RCI) Test
The
RCI is a measure of Reflective Judgment; it focuses on the capacity
to recognize and endorse statements that reflect the attributes
of reflective thinking as defined by the Reflective Judgment Model.
The questionnaire is designed to assess how respondents think about
a few current issues, as a reflection of their assumptions about
knowledge and the certainty with which knowledge claims can be made.
The RCI is not a test of their factual knowledge about the current
topics, their individual abilities, or their mastery of content
of particular classes they may have taken. The instrument should
not be viewed as an 'objectively scorable' version of the Reflective
Judgment Interview. Rather, it taps into related skills (most specifically,
those of recognition, rather than production). Each makes different
demands on the respondent and illuminates different aspects of the
individual's capacity to make reflective judgments.
The RCI consists of a series of five ill-structured problems that
span a range of controversial topics, and respondents are asked
to read ten statements for each problem that reflect different levels
of reasoning in the RJ model. Participants are asked to rate the
statements in terms of how closely the statements resemble their
own thinking on the problem using a four-point scale. In addition
to this scale, a fifth response, "meaningless," may be
selected by respondents to indicate that they think the statement
is not interpretable. Meaningless statements containing complex
vocabulary are included to control for the possibility that respondents
may endorse statements based on the vocabulary or evident sophistication
of the item rather than on the idea being expressed. Instructions
for the instrument inform respondents that such items are included
and that they are to mark these statements as "meaningless"
when assigning a rating.
Respondents then rank order the three statements that most closely
reflect their own thinking. The rankings are the unit of analysis
used to calculate the respondent's score, and they are weighted
so that the statement ranked first is given the most weight, the
statement rated second is given the next highest weighting, etc.
The RCI score reflects the level of reasoning most often ranked
by the respondent as most similar to his/her thinking. Scores can
range from 2 to 7, corresponding to stages 2-7 on the Reflective
Judgment model. Reliabilities have been in the low- to mid- .70's,
depending on the sample (Wood, Kitchener, & Jensen, 2002).
Sample dilemma topics: The range of topics on the RCI are
intended to address general issues in society that are familiar
to most respondents. Besides those listed below, other dilemmas
include Using Medications for Depression, Safety of Artificial Sweeteners,
and Determinants of Sexual Orientation.
1. Preparing the Workforce for the 21st Century: Educators, civic
leaders and members of the business community disagree about how
to best prepare the work force of the 21st century. Some claim that
colleges should emphasize basic subjects such as math, English,
or history. If these courses are well-taught, they argue, students
will have the general skills necessary for the future. Others argue
that the rapid rate of change in the 21st century requires specific
training in such skills that are adaptable to many situations, such
as critical thinking or problem-solving. They argue that colleges
should emphasize such general skills in order to better prepare
people for learning after they leave college.
2. Origins of Alcoholism: Some researchers contend that alcoholism
is due, at least in part, to genetic factors. They often refer to
a number of family and twin studies to support this contention.
Other researchers, however, do not think that alcoholism is in any
way inherited. They claim that alcoholism is psychologically determined.
They also claim that the reason that several members of the same
family often suffer from alcoholism is due to the fact that they
share common family experiences, socio-economic status, or employment.
3. Immigration Policy: Some economic experts claim that a less restrictive
immigration policy adds to the overall economic prosperity of the
United States. Admission of new immigrants, they argue, expands
the tax base and economic competitiveness of American products and
services. Other economic experts suggest that such policies result
in a drain on the medical, financial, and educational resources
of the United States. These experts argue that a less restrictive
immigration policy harms the economic well-being of the country.
|
