Analysis of the Relationship between Motivation and Critical Thinking with Intentional Internet Search Behavior Case study: Students of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Hygiene Faculty

This research aimed to investigate the relationship between critical thinking and motivation with intentional Internet search. The research sample included 196 students in bachelor degree and 28 students in master degree programs offered by Hygiene Faculty at Mazandaran University of Medical and Health Sciences. The method used in this research was based on analytical survey and the tools used in collecting data for critical thinking survey was based on California “form B” standardized by Khalili. Motivation was measured by the subscales of Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) which was developed by Pintrich and Garcia and Behavioral Internet Search Questionnaire developed by Wu was used for measuring intentional Internet search. Findings of this research indicated that there was no meaningful relationship between critical thinking and intentional Internet search amongst the targeted population in this research; however، the researcher theory was based on existence of a meaningful relationship between motivation and intentional Internet search approved. Measured level of critical thinking within targeted population averaged to 10/19 which was lower than standardized process that yields 15/59. This indicated that research population’s critical thinking was weak. Measured level of motivation amounts to 82/10 and this was higher than the average. This indicated that population under research possessed relatively good motivation. Measured level of intentional Internet search averages to 58/51 which was at the mean interval for this variable، therefore this skill was on par with the average level. Review of relationship between variables in the research with variables of gender demographic، educational courses، section and educational discipline indicated that there was indeed a meaningful connection between critical thinking and variables of demographic of degree level and discipline. There was a meaningful relationship between motivation and demographic variables of degree and discipline and the average of motivation factor in master degree was higher than the bachelor degree. Intentional Internet search had a meaningful connection with respect to education level and discipline..