Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society

The application of scientific principles in diverse science domains is widely regarded as a hallmark of expertise. However, in medicine, the role of basic science knowledge is the subject of considerable controversy. In this paper, w e present a study that examines students' and experts* understanding of complex biomedical concepts related to cardiovascular physiology. In the experiment, subjects were presented with questions and problems pertaining to cardiac output, venous return, and the mechanical properties of the cardiovascular system. The results indicated a progression of conceptual models as a function of expertise, which was evident in predictive accuracy, and the explanation and application of these concepts. The study also documented and characterized the etiology of significant misconceptions that impeded subjects' ability to reason about the cardiovascular and circulatory system. Certain conceptual errors were evident even in the responses of physicians. The scope of application of basic science principles is not as evident in the practice of medicine, as in the applied physical domains. Students and medical practitioners do not experience the same kinds of epistemic challenges to counter their naive intuitions.