2025

IIA Winnipeg Chapter

Summer Lunch and Learn (Virtual)

Presentation: The Science of Audit Excellence: Using Research to Transform Audit Quality

Date: May 7, 2025

Time: 11:00am to 12:00pm CST

Step into audit research like never before. In this eye-opening session, Dr. Toby Groves immerses you in his own groundbreaking scientific study on internal auditors, challenging conventional wisdom on audit decision-making. Through real-world experiments conducted on auditors, you'll experience firsthand what the research reveals about the key factors that most impact audit quality. You’ll engage with the very experiments that reshaped our understanding of auditor decision-making, exposing the unseen forces that shape professional judgment and ultimately, audit quality. We’ll also explore other cutting-edge studies from the field, unlocking practical insights that can elevate audit quality in ways you never expected. Whether you're an experienced auditor, a leader in assurance, or simply curious about the future of audit excellence, this session will challenge how you think, decide, and perform. Are you ready to experience the science behind audit excellence?

Major Subjects
1. Cognitive Factors Influencing Auditor Judgment – Understanding how metacognition, mental heuristics, and biases impact audit decision-making.
2. Skeptical Reasoning and Audit Quality – Exploring the role of professional skepticism and how to enhance its effectiveness.
3. The Role of Prompts – Learning how structured cognitive prompts can improve auditor reasoning and decision accuracy.
4. Situational Awareness and Decision Contexts – Recognizing how context, framing, and external factors influence audit judgments.
5. Strategies for Improving Mental Clarity and Judgment – Applying research-backed strategies to enhance focus, critical thinking, and resilience in audit practice.

Learning Objectives
1. Identify metacognitive prompts to improve audit decision-making and judgment efficacy.
2. Analyze the impact of skeptical reasoning techniques on audit quality and decision outcomes.
3. Identify the cognitive and situational factors that shape auditor reasoning and learn strategies to mitigate bias.

SPEAKER

Dr. Toby Groves – Founder, Cognificent Learning

Dr. Toby Groves is a research psychologist exploring advanced cognitive strategies that enhance decision-making and uncover new thinking capacities. He is the founder of Cognificent Learning, a professional education platform dedicated to higher-order thinking. His research adapts insights from neuroscience, resilience studies, and cutting-edge therapies in neurological recovery to help professionals think more effectively under pressure. With a PhD in psychology and specialized training in forensic psychology and forensic accounting, he collaborates with leaders in auditing, intelligence, law, and medicine to refine high-stakes decision-making, revealing unseen cognitive abilities and driving transformative solutions.