Critical Thinking Status And Its Relation To Self-Efficacy And Coping Styles Among Medical Researchers

BackgroundAlthough scholars agree that critical thinking trait is the driving force of human learning critical knowledge and skills, the researches on this topic just started from 1992. After Facione et al. issued California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory (CCTDI), a series of relevant scales was issued and applied in many fields. In China, there are many studies on critical thinking, but those are mainly in the field of nursing. The research of critical thinking ability of medical students is occasionally surveyed. The research about the critical thinking ability of medical researchers is rarely reported. The report about the relationship between critical thinking traits and coping styles is also spars. Self-efficacy was originally proposed by the famous American psychologist Albert Bandura. In recent years, publications on self-efficacy are reported in the field of nursing, but the relationship between critical thinking and self-efficacy in medical researchers is rare surveyed. Therefore, in this thesis, I will report the results about those issues among medical researchers.ObjectivesTo describe the status of critical thinking quality of medical researchers; to study the relationship between critical thinking quality and self-efficacy in medical researchers; to study the relationship between critical thinking way and coping styles in medical researchers.Methods400 respondents were randomly selected and anonymous surveyed from the authors of the journal of Shandong Medicine during July 2010 to December 2013. General data questionnaire, Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory Chinese Version (CTDI-CV), Trait Coping Style Questionnaire (TCSQ) and general self-efficacy scale (GSES) were adopted for this survey.For metric data, if Bartlett’s test for equal variances between groups is not statistically significant, one-way analysis of variance was used to test the differences of means of metric variables; otherwise, the Kruskal-Wallis equality-of-populations rank test was used. Cronbach’s a coefficient was used to assess the internal consistency of the scales. General linear regression analysis was used to analyze the relationship between critical thinking, self-efficacy and trait coping styles. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to adjust the potential confounders. The importance of the individual variables was analyzed by dominance analysis. Statistical analyses were performed with the Stata 13.1 statistical package. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results328 questionnaires were taken back. Excluding those with information incorrect or incomplete,321 questionnaires were valid. The effective recovery rate was 80.25%. Reliability test shows good internal consistency in these scales. The score of CTDI-CV was 290.918 ±30.531, indicating that medical researchers had positive critical thinking. Systematicity and self-confidence was associated with age and work experiences. Analyticity, systematicity, self-confidence were associated with marriage. Systematicity was also related to the title. Critical thinking disposition had positive correlation with general self-efficacy and positive coping style, and negative correlation with negative coping style (P<0.05). Systematicity and inquisitiveness had biggest influence on general self-efficacy. Positive coping style was much more associated with (truth-seeking and open-mindedness, while negative coping style was much more negative associated with Systematicity and truth-seeking.ConclusionsMedical researchers do not have a solid strength in the disposition toward critical thinking, although they have positive disposition toward critical thinking. As the researchers’ages growing, systematic ability, critical thinking and self-efficacy are stronger; Married people showed greater ability of analysis, systematic, self-efficacy of critical thinking than unmarried people. Those people with more work experience have greater systematic ability and self-efficacy. The senior researchers have greater systematic ability than the elementary and intermediate researchers. The traits of critical thinking are associated with age, marital status, working experiences, senior titles. Critical thinking disposition can be improved by strong self-efficacy and positive coping style, and eliminated by positive coping style. Medical researchers should focus on nurturing the ability of truth seeking and systematic ability. Medical researchers must have the traits of open-mind and inquisitive. Medical researchers can improve their critical thinking ability through continuous learning and practicing, which enhance their self-efficacy and coping ability.