Which statement best relates to slips and mistakes?

Which statement best relates to slips and mistakes?

• A. Slips involve incorrect planning, while mistakes involve execution errors
• B. Slips are execution failures of a planned action, whereas mistakes involve the wrong plan or decision
• C. Slips and mistakes are the same thing
• D. Slips are deliberate violations of protocol

Answer: (B)

Slips and mistakes reflect different stages of action: slips are errors in the execution of an intended action, while mistakes are errors in the plan or decision itself. A slip happens when you mean to do the right thing but something goes wrong while you’re performing it—like clicking the wrong field or forgetting a step because of momentary distraction. A mistake, on the other hand, occurs when the overall plan or judgment is flawed, so the action taken is based on the wrong assumption or rule. The statement that best relates to these ideas assigns execution failures to slips and incorrect plans or decisions to mistakes. For example, mis-entering data because of a momentary lapse is a slip, whereas choosing the wrong protocol due to a faulty understanding is a mistake. Deliberate violations are a different category altogether and not slips.

Slips and mistakes reflect different stages of action: slips are errors in the execution of an intended action, while mistakes are errors in the plan or decision itself. A slip happens when you mean to do the right thing but something goes wrong while you’re performing it—like clicking the wrong field or forgetting a step because of momentary distraction. A mistake, on the other hand, occurs when the overall plan or judgment is flawed, so the action taken is based on the wrong assumption or rule.

The statement that best relates to these ideas assigns execution failures to slips and incorrect plans or decisions to mistakes. For example, mis-entering data because of a momentary lapse is a slip, whereas choosing the wrong protocol due to a faulty understanding is a mistake. Deliberate violations are a different category altogether and not slips.