Thinking styles of Australasian paramedics and paramedicine students

Toby Keene*, Kristen Pammer, Eryn Newman, Bill Lord

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    Abstract

    Purpose: Paramedics play important roles in healthcare, yet little is known about their decision-making. There is evidence that thinking style is associated with individual preference for intuitive or deliberative decision-making. Design/methodology/approach: Australian and New Zealand paramedics (n = 103; mean age: 38.7; mean 12 years’ experience; 44% female) and paramedic students (n = 101; mean age: 25.7; 59% female) completed a thinking style survey measuring active open-mindedness (AOT), close mindedness (CMT), preference for intuitive thinking (PIT) and preference for effortful thinking (PET). Participants also completed the 7-item Cognitive Reflection Test (CRT) to assess ability to override an attractive but incorrect intuition. Findings: With prior exposure to the CRT controlled, regression analysis found increasing AOT and decreasing age predicted cognitive reflection across all participants (R2/R2 adjusted: 0.198/0.157; F(10, 192) = 4.752, p < 0.001). There were moderate correlations between CMT, age and paramedic experience. There was no difference between paramedics and student performance on the CRT, though more students reported prior exposure to the items (33.7 vs 16.5%; Chi-square (2) = 8.02, p = 0.02). Those who reported prior exposure to the CRT scored significantly higher than those who had not (5.08 [1.44] vs 3.87 [1.70]; F(2, 201) = 14.34, p < 0.001). Originality/value: Self-reported AOT was associated with cognitive reflection and indicates a role for open-mindedness in paramedics to support decision-making.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)371-383
    Number of pages13
    JournalInternational Journal of Emergency Services
    Volume12
    Issue number3
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 23 Nov 2023

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