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Pedagogical methods and affect tolerance in medical students.
1Department of Education, Uppsala University, Sweden.
Medical Education
|April 22, 1999
Summary
Problem-based learning (PBL) medical curricula positively influenced students' affect tolerance, a key component of empathy. Students in PBL courses demonstrated higher affect tolerance compared to those in conventional programs.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Psychology
- Empathy Research
Background:
- Limited evaluation exists for non-cognitive aspects of problem-based learning (PBL) in medical curricula.
- Affect tolerance, a prerequisite for empathy, is crucial for effective patient care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of different medical school teaching methods on students' affect tolerance.
- To assess if affect tolerance is influenced by specific courses within the medical curriculum.
Main Methods:
- A pseudo-randomized, cross-sectional study involving medical students at the University of Lund Medical School.
- Affect tolerance was measured using a test in first, sixth, and eighth-term students exposed to different pedagogical approaches (PBL vs. conventional).
Main Results:
- Sixth-term students showed significantly higher affect tolerance scores after communications skills training compared to first-term students.
- Eighth-term students in the PBL course maintained high affect tolerance, outperforming peers in conventional courses.
Conclusions:
- Problem-based learning (PBL) curricula, with integrated communication skills, appear to enhance students' affect tolerance.
- PBL may help students develop strategies to overcome psychological defenses that hinder empathy.