College student’s views of science make up a significant component of their overall worldview. In an ongoing effort to understand the creation worldview construct and the impact of teaching from a creationist perspective, students at Liberty University have been pre- and post-tested in a required course on the creation/evolution controversy using the Creationist Worldview Scale (CWS). Previous studies have demonstrated a shift toward a stronger creationist view after the course. The present study compares the CWS with two other instruments used to evaluate origins views. The other scales were (1) a modified version of MATE and (2) a portion of the Lawson and Worsnop Scale. Interestingly, while a significant difference was observed on the post-test for the CWS and the Lawson and Worsnop Scale, there was no difference for the MATE. The Lawson and Worsnop Scale may have invalid items because students identified as Creationist disagreed with the items which Lawson and Worsnop predicted they should agree. This study highlights the importance of a correct understanding of the creationist worldview in the development of instruments used to measure the construct.
