{"title":"Conformity: the hidden actor in surgical decisions","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.cireng.2024.04.014","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Conformity in decision making has a relevant impact in surgical environments. This manuscript reveals how group-based opinions can distort the surgeon's individual judgment, even in critical situations. Two key phenomena are analysed: communication cascades and group polarisation, which amplify conformity and lead to extreme and sometimes harmful decisions.</p><p>It is important to highlight the importance of evidence-based education, critical thinking, and diversification of information sources to counteract the negative effects of conformity. Self-identifying conformist tendencies, encouraging open debate, and implementing constructive dissent strategies can help mitigate the effects of conformity in decision-making. Reviewing authority models and promoting diversity in surgical settings may improve decision-making and the quality of patient care.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":93935,"journal":{"name":"Cirugia espanola","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0000,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Cirugia espanola","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2173507724001200","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"","JCRName":"","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Conformity in decision making has a relevant impact in surgical environments. This manuscript reveals how group-based opinions can distort the surgeon's individual judgment, even in critical situations. Two key phenomena are analysed: communication cascades and group polarisation, which amplify conformity and lead to extreme and sometimes harmful decisions.
It is important to highlight the importance of evidence-based education, critical thinking, and diversification of information sources to counteract the negative effects of conformity. Self-identifying conformist tendencies, encouraging open debate, and implementing constructive dissent strategies can help mitigate the effects of conformity in decision-making. Reviewing authority models and promoting diversity in surgical settings may improve decision-making and the quality of patient care.