Evidence Supporting Dual-Process Theory of Medical Diagnosis: A Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Study

• In Event: Cognitive Processes and Developmental Trajectories—Paper Session

Abstract

The objective of the study was to explore whether there is a neurological basis for the distinction between intuitive and analytical modes of reasoning in medical diagnosis as suggested by dual-process theory. An experimental paradigm was applied consisting of a learning and a test phase. During the learning phase, medical students (N=25) were trained in diagnosing chest x-rays. During a test phase, their prefrontal cortex was scanned using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Response time and diagnostic accuracy were recorded as behavioural indicators. Our data show that the anterolateral prefrontal cortex was only activated when subjects engaged in analytical thinking. Our results show that intuitive and analytical thinking are represented in the brain as distinct processes.

Authors

• Jerome I. Rotgans, Nanyang Technological University

• Henk G. Schmidt, Erasmus University Rotterdam