Problem-solving styles of medical students related to knowledge and personality in simulated clinical situations

A study of problem-solving styles, employing a method previously used with general practitioners, was carried out with 40 final-year medical students. By giving their ratings on a five-point rating scale of 21-24 statements relating to each of three case histories, an answer index could be computed, expressing each student's tendency to make assertive versus non-assertive decisions. The relationship of this answer index to knowledge (grades and educational level), personality (Eysenck personality inventory [EPI]), and time used in the exercises was examined. High answer index (high degree of decisiveness in the clinical simulations) was significantly correlated with extroverted personality on the EPI (P less than 0.05) and negatively correlated with time spent on the exercises (P less than 0.01), whereas no relationship was found with grades in medical school, educational level, neuroticism on the EPI, or the students' sex and age. The findings are discussed in relation to previous studies on clinical problem-solving.