Sonja Chu, Sathesan Thavabalasingam, Laurie Hamel, Supreet Aashat, Jonathan Tay, Rutsuko Ito, Andy C H Lee
Exploring the interaction between approach-avoidance conflict and memory processing
Memory (Hove, England)
patient outcomes critically depend accuracy physicians judgment yet little known individual differences cognitive styles underlie physicians judgments objective study assess physicians individual differences cognitive styles relative age experience degree type training physicians different levels training career completed webbased survey 6 scales measuring individual differences cognitive styles maximizing v satisficing analytical v intuitive reasoning need cognition intolerance toward ambiguity objectivism cognitive reflection measured psychometric properties cronbachs scales relationship age experience degree type training responses scales accuracy conditional inference task study included 165 trainees 56 attending physicians median age 31 years range 2569 years 6 constructs showed acceptable psychometric properties surprisingly found significant negative correlation age satisficing r 0239 p 0017 maximizing willingness engage alternative search strategy also decreased age r 0220 p 0047 number incorrect inferences negatively correlated satisficing r 0246 p 0014 disposition suppress intuitive responses associated correct responses 3 4 inferential tasks trainees showed tendency engage analytical thinking r 0265 p 0025 attendings displayed inclination toward intuitiveexperiential thinking r 0427 p 0046 however trainees performed worse conditional inference task physicians capable suppressing immediate intuitive response questions scoring higher rational thinking made fewer inferential mistakes found negative correlation age maximizing physicians advanced careers less willing spend time effort exhaustive search solutions however appeared maintained mindware effective problem solving