The moderating effects of cognitive style and recency effects on the auditors′ belief revision process

Auditors′ belief revisions are found to be influenced by the presentation order of audit evidence. The Belief Adjustment model developed by Hogarth and Einhorn predicts recency effects when certain task variables are present. An unanswered question remains: Do individual psychological differences play a role in influencing the recency effect? Reports the findings of an empirical test on recency effect in auditors′ belief revision process and its relation to the field dependence cognitive style (a personal individual variable). Twenty auditor-subjects were asked to complete a questionnaire on an internal control case using "complex, mixed" evidence in a step-by-step response mode. The research findings confirmed the existence of a significant recency effect and showed that the field dependence cognitive style interacts with the order of evidence to influence the auditors′ belief-adjustment process.