gms | German Medical Science

5th International Conference for Research in Medical Education

15.03. - 17.03.2017, Düsseldorf

Influence of the personality factors rigidity and uncertainty tolerance on peer-feedback

Meeting Abstract

  • corresponding author presenting/speaker Bianca Raski - HHU Düsseldorf, Medicine, Düsseldorf, Germany
  • Mateja Böhm - HHU Düsseldorf, Mathematische und Kognitive Psychologie, Düsseldorf, Germany
  • Matthias Schneider - HHU Düsseldorf, Medicine, Düsseldorf, Germany
  • Thomas Rotthoff - HHU Düsseldorf, Medicine, Düsseldorf, Germany

5th International Conference for Research in Medical Education (RIME 2017). Düsseldorf, 15.-17.03.2017. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2017. DocP15

doi: 10.3205/17rime46, urn:nbn:de:0183-17rime465

Published: March 7, 2017

© 2017 Raski et al.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. See license information at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.


Outline

Text

Introduction: The way feedback is provided and the relation-ship between the provider and perceiver are proved to shape feedback. The impact of the perceivers´ personality, its behavioral structures and their influence on feedback has been hardly considered so far. This study explores the influence of the two personality factors "behavioral rigidity" and "uncertainty tolerance" on students´ feedback.

Objectives: Both factors were regarded as disturbance factors for the perception and acceptance of feedback.

Material & methods: A total of 111 students participated voluntarily in a peer-feedback initiative. First, all filled in an electronic questionnaire on behavioral rigidity [1] as well as on uncertainty tolerance [2]. Subsequently students conducted a self-assessment about their personal and professional development and were assessed regarding the same topics by a group of peers they were working with in the process of the semester. Finally, the results of the groups´ assessment were provided anonymously to each student. Besides this, 11 students out of the total group participated in semi-structured interviews on the subject of acceptance of feedback.

Results: A significant negative correlation between behavioral rigidity of students and their perception by peers in regard of "acceptance of failure" (r=-0.13; p=0.042) emerged. There was also an evident correlation between behavioral rigidity and the external perception of the effort for "preparation for class" (r=0.38; p=0.012). Based on the interviews more rigid students seem to be less likely to accept negative peer feedback. Participants with a less distinct uncertainty tolerance tended to be assessed by their peers significantly as less professional (r=0.34; p=0.007), as with inferior communication skills towards patients (r=0.344; p=0.006) and with less capability of empathy (r=0.263; p=0.039). The more positive students assessed themselves, the significant more negative they were perceived by their peers (r=-0.344; p=0.018). The exemplary interview statements of the participants support these results.

Conclusion: Personality factors of a feedback perceiver seem to have influence on the acceptance of feedback and on the feedback providers´ assessment of this person as well. Personality factors should be more considered when implementing feedback initiatives as for instance persons with a more rigid behavior need apparently rather well-structured feedback situations and persons with uncertainty intolerance do need manageable situations to reduce stress.


References

1.
Krampen G. TBR-Fragebogen zur behavioralen Rigidität. [TBR-questionnaire of behavioral rigidity]. Trierer Psychol Berichte. 1977:9.
2.
Dalbert C. Die Ungewißheitstoleranzskala Skaleneigenschaften und Validierungsbefunde. [Scale of ambiguity tolerance. Properties of scales and validity]. Halle, Wittenberg: Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg; 1999. Zugänglich unter/available from: http://www.erzwiss.uni-halle.de/gliederung/paed/ppsych/bericht01.pdf External link