Experience and Medical Decision-Making in Outdoor Leaders

Abstract

Outdoor leaders function in naturalistic decision-making contexts and may be influenced by personal, social, and environmental factors in making critical decisions in the field. The experience level of the outdoor instructor is posited as a critical variable in the development of his/ her decision-making and overall judgment. This research measures the effect that experience has on medical decision-making in outdoor leaders. It investigates two research questions: (a) Do outdoor leaders of varied experience levels differ in their perception of factors in the decision-making environment?; and (b) Do outdoor leaders with different experience levels vary significantly in their judgments? Decision-making was measured utilizing factorial survey vignettes in a hierarchical linear model. Experience was assessed using experience use history methodology (OLEUH). The sample includes Outward Bound staff (N=103). Data were collected in June 2002. Significant variance was present in both the perceptual threshold and j...