Association between Emotional Intelligence and Objective Structured Examinations: A Study on Psychiatric Residents

Introduction: Emotional Intelligence (EI) is the capacity to handle one’s and the others’ feelings and reactions, and is important for achieving pleasant social interaction and success in life. The purpose of the present assessment was to explore the connection between the EI of psychiatric residents and their outcomes in objective scholastic evaluations.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was used in the present assessment. 31 psychiatric residents of the University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences (grade 1 to 4) were requested to answer the Schutte Self Report Emotional Intelligence Test (SSEIT) for probing the relationship between EI and objective structured examinations, like Mini-Clinical Examination Exercise (Mini-CEX), Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE), and Chart-Stimulated Recall (CSR) scores, which had been taken in the previous six months. SSEIT score of 90 was taken as demarcating point for dividing the sample population into two target groups, including the 1^st group with SSEIT score lower than 90, and the 2^nd group with SSEIT score equal to or more than 90. Demographic characteristics were analyzed by comparison of proportions regarding gender and year of study and comparison of means (t-test) regarding age, scholastic evaluative scores and EI. Data analysis was conducted using MedCalc Statistical Software version 15.2. Statistical significance was determined as a P≤0.05.

Results: 29 participants (93.54%) responded to the assessment and answered the SSEIT. According to the findings, there was no significant difference between the aforesaid groups regarding Mini-CEX, OSCE and CSR (P=0.101, P=0.091 and P=0.156, respectively). Post-hoc power analysis showed an intermediary power equal to 0.36 on behalf of this trial.

Conclusion: According to the findings, while a significant difference, with respect to SSEIT score, was evident between two groups of psychiatric residents with higher and lower SSEIT scores, no significant difference was evident between them regarding the objective structured examinations.