The Influence of Big Five Personality Traits on Dual-Process Cognitive Information Processing Styles in Medical Decision-Making

Abstract: We all make decisions, but when medical professionals do it, it can literally mean life or death. Decisions are influenced by many factors. The aim of the present study was to investigate if personality traits as proposed by the Big Five Model influence the Rational and Experiential cognitive information processing styles as proposed by the dual-process Cognitive-Experiential Self-Theory theory in medical decision-making. A sample of doctors and nurses (N=102) from various medical institutions in Macedonia was presented with an online survey containing Big Five Factors Inventory (Goldberg, 1992) and REI-40 (Paccini & Epstain, 1999). The results showed significant relation for Openness and Conscientiousness with Rationality and Agreeableness with Experientiality. Neuroticism showed significant positive influence on one of the sub-dimensions of Rationality, the Rational Ability, but not on Rationality in total. The medical professionals demonstrated clear preference towards Rationality over Experientiality. The importance of these results is further discussed in context of somewhat similar research.