Predictors of intuitive decision-making in graduate physical therapists

Abstract

Scope and Method of Study: Correlational, structural equation modeling, and analyses of variance of various measures of intuition with age and gender, along with a measure of intuitive decision-making.

Findings and Conclusions: This study revealed significant correlations among the following variables: the Accumulated Clues Task (ACT) with the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE), gender with both the Dyads of Triads Task (DOT) and the Sensing-Intuition subscale of the Myers Briggs Personality Type Indicator (MBPTI). It determined that a model based on a theory proposed by Dreyfus and Dreyfus (1986) that used three measures of intuition and age along with gender was not significant at predicting intuitive decision-making in graduate physical therapists. It produced varying results on the measures of intuition when examined between genders, with females scoring as more intuitive on one measure (DOT), males higher on another (MBPTI), and no difference between them on the third measure (ACT) or on the measure of intuitive decision making (NPTE). Finally, it determined that the hunches formulated on correct solutions to the DOT did not occur any more frequently than if by chance.