Emotional intelligence of pedodontics and preventive dentistry postgraduate students in India

Whilst the corporate world seems to have embraced the concept of emotional intelligence (EI) as a predictor of worker success, its role in the dental profession needs to be explored; this study provides an Indian context. Hence, the EI of postgraduate (PG) students of Paedodontics and Preventive Dentistry was assessed.

To measure EI amongst Paedodontics PG students in India, to assess any gender differences in EI and associated dimensions amongst them.

A total of 300 PG students from various dental institutions across India participating in their specialty national conference at I.T.S. Centre for Dental Studies and Research, Muradnagar, were included. EI was measured by the inventory developed by Singh (2004), based on Goleman's model (1998).

Overall, 240 questionnaires (80% response rate) were completed by 142 male and 98 female PG students and analysed. Results showed that 19% and 58% of the respondents had very high and high EI scores, respectively. None of the students had poor or very poor scores. Results indicated that both males and females had high EI scores of 230.4 (± 10.38) and 222.6 (± 12.04), respectively. However, males had higher scores for dimensions of self-awareness (P<0.01), social awareness (P<0.01) and social skills (P<0.001) than their female counterparts.

Both male and female paedodontic postgraduate students in India had high EI scores. This study provides valuable baseline information on EI in an Indian context.