A clinician adjusts their technique during patient care based on ongoing feedback and observation. This best illustrates which practice?

• A. Reflection in action
• B. Reflection on action
• C. Metacognition
• D. Anchoring bias

Answer: (A)

This situation shows reflecting in action: you’re actively monitoring the patient and your technique during the care encounter, using what you observe to adjust your approach in real time. It’s about making immediate, self-directed changes based on ongoing feedback, rather than evaluating afterward.

Reflecting in action contrasts with reflecting on action, which is thinking back after the encounter about what happened and what could be changed. Metacognition is a broader idea about being aware of and regulating one’s thinking processes, which can occur during action but doesn’t specifically emphasize modifying technique in the moment. Anchoring bias would involve sticking too closely to the initial plan despite new information, which isn’t what’s happening here.