Obstetrician cognitive and affective skills in a diverse academic population

BMC Medical Education

Table 3 Differences in cognitive traits between general obstetricians and maternal-fetal medicine specialists

	Bivariable analysis			Multivariable linear regression^a
	MFM mean (SD)	General Ob/Gyn mean (SD)	p-value	Effect estimate (95 % CI)	p-value
Reflective coping^b	34.8 (3.4)	36.0 (4.1)	0.41	−1.4 (−4.2 – 1.4)	0.31
Proactive coping^c	43.8 (5.8)	44.7 (4.7)	0.60	−0.6 (−4.0 – 2.7)	0.72
Tolerance of ambiguity^d	69.7 (10.2)	60.7 (9.6)	<0.01	8.3 (1.6 – 15.0)	0.016
Need for cognition^e	74.8 (10.5)	65.8 (10.0)	0.012	8.3 (1.5 – 15.1)	0.018
Trait anxiety^f	31.3 (7.8)	33.1 (8.1)	0.45	−2.3 (−7.9 – 3.4)	0.43

MFM maternal-fetal medicine
^aScore reflects the difference in score for MFMs compared to generalists, adjusting for gender and number of deliveries per year. For all traits except trait anxiety, higher scores indicate more “adaptive” traits
^bReflective Coping scale measures self-efficacy and coping in the setting of stress
^cProactive Coping scale measures proactive goal attainment, self-confidence, and self-regulatory behavior
^dMultiple Stimulus Types Ambiguity Tolerance scale measures tolerance of ambiguity, degree of comfort with uncertainty, and receptiveness to change
^eNeed for Cognition scale measures learner motivation, engagement with cognitive efforts, and adaptive decision making
^fTrait component of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory measures stable tendencies toward anxiety and is a measure of affect

ISSN: 1472-6920