Diversity and Collegiate Experiences Affecting Self-Perceived Gains in Critical Thinking: Which Works, and Who Benefits?

This study is grounded in the theoretical and conceptual frameworks that postulate diversity and collegiate experiences as triggers for the cognitive disequilibrium that fosters critical thinking (CT). With the assumption that CT is both a general and a discipline-specific facility, this longitudinal, single-institution study of 447 students examines the effects of both diversity and collegiate experiences on self-perceived gains in critical thinking among white and ethnic minority students. Implications for institutional policy and further empirical research are discussed.