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CC BY-NC-ND V4.0, Open Access
Dissertation
CRITICAL THINKING ABILITY IN THE AGE OF DIGITAL MEDIA: EMPLOYING AN UPDATED MEASUREMENT TO UNDERSTAND FITNESS AND NUTRITION INFORMATION PROCESS AMONG YOUNG ADULTS IN THE U.S.
Washington State University
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
01/2022
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7273/000004418
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/125018
Abstract
Scholars have emphasized the importance of individuals’ agency in defending themselves from low quality, misleading, and false information. Research indicates that critical thinking ability, as part of individuals’ decision-making processes, should assist individuals in navigating the sea of information on the Internet. However, communication scholars haven’t agreed on a generalized instrument to measure critical thinking ability, which has blocked the greater debate on when, how, and whether critical thinking will lead to better decision making. This dissertation looks at the relationship between critical thinking ability and information systemic processing and individuals’ seeking of fitness and nutrition information on social media to update and test a new critical thinking ability scale. The new measurement is based on a previously developed scale of critical understanding of media by the European Commission for Information Society and Media Literacy Unit in 2011. After a series Exploratory Factor Analysis and Confirmatory Factor Analysis, the amended scale for critical thinking ability was formulated. The new scale addressed individuals’ skill in analyzing and comparing different information source, being aware of the common media effects, and knowing where laws and regulations of media might be applied in life. The scale consists of 12 questions, all self-reported, making it efficient and easy to be included in various cross-sectional or experimental studies. The new scale showed good internal consistency, and validity. Using the updated scale, this dissertation found direct effect of critical thinking ability on both information systematic processing and information seeking, contrary to previous assertion that information processing and seeking are largely results of information insufficiency. In the context of looking for fitness and nutrition information on social media, critical thinkers are more likely to engage in information systematic processing, but not to seek additional health information. Practical implication and future research directions were discussed.
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Details
- Title
- CRITICAL THINKING ABILITY IN THE AGE OF DIGITAL MEDIA
- Creators
- Chan Chen
- Contributors
- Bruce Pinkleton (Advisor)Alexis Tan (Committee Member)Porismita Borah (Committee Member)Marc Evans (Committee Member)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Edward R. Murrow College of Communication
- Theses and Dissertations
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University
- Number of pages
- 217
- Identifiers
- 99900883239101842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Dissertation