Liu Zhiyuan, Li Shuangshuang, Shang Shouwei, Ren Xuezhu
School of Education, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
Front Psychol. 2021 Aug 19;12:704229. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.704229. eCollection 2021.
Theories of psychotherapy suggest that human mental problems associate with deficiencies in critical thinking. However, it currently remains unclear whether both critical thinking skill and critical thinking disposition relate to individual differences in mental health. This study explored whether and how the critical thinking ability and critical thinking disposition of university students associate with individual differences in mental health in considering impulsivity that has been revealed to be closely related to both critical thinking and mental health. Regression and structural equation modeling analyses based on a Chinese university student sample ( = 314, 198 females, age = 18.65) revealed that critical thinking skill and disposition explained a unique variance of mental health after controlling for impulsivity. Furthermore, the relationship between critical thinking and mental health was mediated by motor impulsivity (acting on the spur of the moment) and non-planning impulsivity (making decisions without careful forethought). These findings provide a preliminary account of how human critical thinking associate with mental health. Practically, developing mental health promotion programs for university students is suggested to pay special attention to cultivating their critical thinking dispositions and enhancing their control over impulsive behavior.
心理治疗理论表明，人类的心理问题与批判性思维的缺陷有关。然而，目前尚不清楚批判性思维技能和批判性思维倾向是否都与心理健康的个体差异有关。本研究探讨了大学生的批判性思维能力和批判性思维倾向是否以及如何与心理健康的个体差异相关，同时考虑到冲动性已被揭示与批判性思维和心理健康都密切相关。基于中国大学生样本（n = 314，198名女性，年龄 = 18.65）的回归分析和结构方程模型分析表明，在控制冲动性后，批判性思维技能和倾向解释了心理健康的独特方差。此外，批判性思维与心理健康之间的关系由运动冲动性（一时冲动行事）和非计划性冲动性（未经仔细考虑就做出决定）介导。这些发现初步说明了人类批判性思维与心理健康之间的关联。实际上，建议为大学生制定心理健康促进计划时，应特别注意培养他们的批判性思维倾向，并增强他们对冲动行为的控制。
